tainted Dog/Cat food story. Why so few facts?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

Menu Foods makes about 50 or so different brands of pouch and canned pet food. Their product is linked to at least 10 deaths and many more incidents of kidney damage or failure to pets.

No matter how I search the story, I cannot find out HOW the animal food has been tainted, nor by what. When prescription drugs, meat, veggies or other HUMAN food is tainted, the news is filled with details. Not this recall. I wonder why.

Anyone else know something about this?

[whistle]

1. In fact, no facts at all about what might be causing the animals to get

...sick and die. I suspect rapeseed which is toxic

[kestrel91316]

8. Do you have any factual evidence that rapeseed is involved?

Because if you don't, this is just speculation on your part and not very helpful.

People need facts.

[whistle]

24. Only that Canola oil is in these pet foods and that Canola is

...genetically altered rapeseed oil which can not be distinguished from Canola without the proper labeling. A single Canadian manufacturing company is said to have put the wrong ingredient in these pet foods and that is all that has been disclosed. The single manufacturing company apparently makes the pet food products for a great many companies who then put their labels on the outside packaging.

It is not the first time a company has messed up ingredients in animal feeds and covered it up. I heard of an incident in Michigan some 30 years ago when animal feed given to cattle had fire retardant chemicals added by mistake because the outer bag was identical to the vitamin nutrients which were supposed to be added. The Michigan food and drug people said the symptoms which the cattle were having caused no problems in humans and allowed the meat to be distributed into the human population. People who ate the tained meat became sick and showed similar symtoms to the cattle. It took several years to trace the cause and it was hushed up.

This pet food situation could turn into a similar scandal not just for pets, but humans as well:

<snip>
CANOLA OIL
Deadly for the Human Body!

Beware of Canola Oil, it is an Industrial Oil, not fit For human consumption.
(Thank goodness for alternative medicine sites getting out the true facts, but of course, they are not funded by industry.)

S U M M A R Y

Before you read the following article, here is a summary of a few facts regarding Canola Oil:

It is genetically engineered Rapeseed. Canada paid the FDA the sum of $50 million to have rape registered and recognized as "safe". (Source: Young Again and others) Rapeseed is a lubricating oil used by small industry. It has never been meant for human consumption. It is derived from the mustard family and is considered a toxic and poisonous weed, which when processed, becomes rancid very quickly. It has been shown to cause lung cancer (Wall Street Journal: 6/7/95) It is very inexpensive to grow and harvest. Insects won't eat it. Some typical and possible side effects include loss of vision, disruption of the central nervous system, respiratory illness, anemia, constipation, increased incidence of heart disease and cancer, low birth weights in infants and irritability. Generally Rapeseed has a cumulative effect, taking almost 10 years before symptoms begin to manifest. It has a tendency to inhibit proper metabolism of foods and prohibits normal enzyme function. Canola is a Trans Fatty Acid, which has shown to have a direct link to cancer. These Trans Fatty acids are labeled as hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. Avoid all of them! According to John Thomas' book, Young Again, 12 years ago in England and Europe, rape seed was fed to cows, pigs and sheep who later went blind and began attacking people. There were no further attacks after the rape seed was eliminated from the diet.

Source: David Dancu, N.D.

http://www.aspartame.ca/page_oho3.htm#DEADLY

[kestrel91316]

27. Um, where to start? These animals aren't dying of lung cancer.

They're dying of RENAL FAILURE.

[whistle]

34. I don't know what causes renal failure in dogs and cats, but here is

...a site which discusses causes of kidney failure in humans

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/kidney-failure/DS00280/DSECTION=3

<go down to toxic injury>

[chknltl]

54. Thanks for info and link!!! + important ON EDIT

I WAS using Land O Lakes butter which is made from Canola Oil. This product now rests in my garbage can along with my Jif Peanut Butter thanks to your link.
c

ON EDIT: I did a bit more research and it appears my discarding of Canola oil products may have been a bit premature. It appears that there is an urban legend being perpetrated here inre the hazards of Canola Oil: http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/canola.asp

I suspect that as usual, I am the last person on the planet to get the memo about this urban legend.
I have no clue if this product has any adverse health conected attributes for me or my pet.

[kestrel91316]

62. I've used probably GALLONS of canola oil over the years. There is

nothing wrong with it.

Don't believe everything you read on the internet, lol.

[chknltl]

69. Thanks kestrel91316

As you saw in my "ON EDIT" I discovered the urban legend on my own...(not the first one I have fallen for, there was that one about "taxing e-mail" which prompted me to write angry letters to my senators and congresscritters.... very embarrassing indeed!)

I have called all my friends who own kittys and passed along what info I have gleaned from this very thread...especially what info you have been providing here. (Thanks for being the DU resident Vet). I just need to learn to fact check AND trust those who are more expert in stuff before going out and alerting folks...

I believe I chose well when choosing my name... I certainly got the "spreading the alarm" thingy down well enough.. :;):

[kestrel91316]

70. LOL. I missed your name at first!

[Why Syzygy]

128. BUTTER is made from canola oil?

It is supposed to be a dairy product. Have used BUTTER for decades assuming I was getting a dairy product.

btw, where are these claims against pet foods? There are no links. Seems like a lot of hype with no explanation. Hopefully something in the lengthy posts will clarify.

[Canuckistanian]

149. Margarine.

Some margarine is made from Canola oil.

[Why Syzygy]

177. Thanks.

I don't buy margaine. No one should.

[Canuckistanian]

178. Maybe not in America

But here in Canada, I feel safe enough to put our margarine on a slice of fresh-baked bread.

I know about the hydrogenated oil risk, but I just can't afford butter all the time.

[Occulus]

130. deleted

Someone already beat me to the snopes link.

[Doremus]

74. Possibly wheat gluten.

"At this juncture, we're not 100 percent sure what's happened," said Paul Henderson, the company's president and chief executive officer. However, the recalled products were made using wheat gluten purchased from a new supplier ..."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070316/ap_on_he_me/pet_food_recall

It's a cheap source of protein and not digested well by dogs and cats.

Can't use better protein. Corporate fatcats might have to forgo a few hundred stock options or something. Better we should foist off undigestible garbage and market it as healthful and oh so delicious.

:mad: :mad:

[kaygore]

118. Makes sense as protein causes renal failure,

hence why the Atkins diet is so dangerous.

[kestrel91316]

121. WRONG. Protein is a VITAL nutrient. Cats require a fairly high

protein diet compared to dogs (they are obligate carnivores).

Wheat gluten, IMHO, is a bad source of protein for animals, and especially cats, because of it's LOW BIOLOGIC VALUE. This means there are lots of waste amino acids leftover from its metabolism which need to be removed by the kidneys. THAT IS NOT THE PROBLEM HERE. Protein does not directly case acute renal failure like we are seeing. But it's an unwise choice for pet food. Poultry (chicken and turkey) have the highest biologic value of the meats, so they are the best protein source. Egg white (albumin), IIRC, has the highest biologic value of all, with dairy protein a close second.

[TheWraith]

159. I believe kaygore was being sarcastic.

Obviously, protein doesn't cause renal failure.

[demobabe]

172. Interesting

I know that ANIMAL protein causes renal failure in green iguanas. I know, different animal, but iguanas require protein, but get it exclusively from plant material in the wild. But like you say, even iguanas eating animal protein don't suffer ACUTE renal failure - it takes several years.

[kitkat65]

156. How about wheat gluten from genetically modified wheat?

My completely unfounded gut reaction is that this has something to do with genetically modified something.

[TheWraith]

160. "Completely unfounded" is right.

Unbraked paranoia aside, there's never been an iota of scientific evidence for genetically modified foods being able to do anything like what's described here.

[kestrel91316]

180. It's certainly an interesting idea, and one I have also considered.

GMO's are such a Pandora's Box full of unintended consequences, I don't know how they would figure THAT out.

I find it disturbing, to say the least, that toxicology testing at Cornell has found no evidence of Ochratoxin or ethylene glycol or any other likely poisons/toxins yet. But toxicology takes a LOOONNNNNGGGGG time to do all the testing.

There could indeed be something really bizarre and unforseeable here.

[rec_report]

210. The cover-up is likely due to a link to GM 'food,' and the corpora-

pharma-terrorists don't want us to scare people into rejecting GM poison.

[sandnsea]

152. Thank you for the link to the news story

that tells what is suspected to have happened. :)

[druidity33]

166. well there is this...

link that should give one pause...

http://www.i-sis.org.uk/GMFoodNightmareUnfolding.php

and though there is yet no "conclusive" proof, i suspect it won't be too long in coming that all GM foods will be considered 'inedible' for both human and creature. At least if they bother to study them. Though maybe we'll have to depend on other countries to do the research for us... considering our FDA is under the corporate thumb.

here's another link from the same site:

http://www.i-sis.org.uk/Making-the-World-GM-Free-and-Sustainable.php

food for thought anyway... and Monsanto and co are such creeps, you know they're up to no good! Just ask Percy Schmeiser!

I say to heck with the vainglorious bastards messing with Nature! Demand to have GM crops listed on people AND ANIMAL food!

(sorry about all the exclamations...)

[sandnsea]

167. Did Menu buy GM food??

I don't see that in your links. The OP was asking for FACTS, the post I responded to had them. It is wrong to use a current crisis to advocate a personal agenda. We don't want additional deaths due to confusion over the actual facts of a situation.

[druidity33]

173. here's the thing...

pretty much all anyone on this board can offer right now is speculation. There isn't going to be a late breaking bulletin telling us why the pets are dying. If you think Menu is going to admit to what really happened you're deluding yourself.

The facts are that pets are dying and likely we will never know exactly why. My dubiousness over GM crops is not likely to add "additional deaths due to confusion over the actual facts of a situation".

Here's another FACT for you. We really don't know what effect GM crops will have on living creatures in the long term, BECAUSE THE PUBLIC NEVER GETS TO SEE THE STUDIES done by the companies that create them and the FDA hasn't done its own extensive testing. Yet it's out there... contaminating other crops, getting mixed into our food chain. There have been other recalls of products. And other countries won't buy some of our goods for this specific reason.

Honestly i think this is entirely relevant and i'm not sure i care whether you do. But i wouldn't mind hearing from the OP to check in with them.

But i thought this was a discussion board...

[sandnsea]

176. They released what they think

At this point, it has nothing to do with GM food.

The truth is, they have to find out what caused these deaths because they won't have a company anymore if they don't. They have to fix the problem. Then, they have to convince all the grocery stores in the country that they HAVE fixed the problem, otherwise those grocery stores are not going to stock the pet food. They are also going to have to release that information so that people will feel comfortable buying the pet food again. Everything is not a conspiracy.

The problem is, they could release the exact cause of the deaths and you wouldn't believe it anyway because you're stuck on your GM food agenda. You prefer your speculation over reality which is where the left fringe meets the right fringe and creates havoc with so many boy-who-cried-wolf scenarios that nobody believes them anymore.

[druidity33]

198. right

they say it could be because of a new supplier of WHEAT GLUTEN. Not why that wheat gluten is affecting animals. Do you believe that GM foods are safe for consumption in humans and animals? Like someone here said about Canola Oil... i've eaten a ton of wheat gluten in the past couple of years (mostly as Seitan and in different veggie products)

and they haven't released the exact cause of deaths. I'll wait until the scientists do before I RULE OUT GM crops as the problem.

as for this, "The truth is, they have to find out what caused these deaths because they won't have a company anymore if they don't"... i just don't know what planet you're living on. Corporations get away with this type of stuff all the time....


BTW, i never said it was GM crops causing the deaths... if you look at my posts, i am suggesting it as FOOD FOR THOUGHT. After all, it IS within the realm of possibility, despite the defenses you're trying to put up.

Again, i'd rather hear from the OP as to whether i'm stepping on toes here... not you.

[WindRavenX]

2. It's probably not so much a matter of whether it was contaiminated...

...but the actual ingredients themselves that cause renal damage. Ask DUer Kestrel for more about this--she's a vet. Most pet food isn't very good for pets, basically.

[kestrel91316]

7. I don't have any information about what the problem might be.

It could be poorly formulated (Harvard MBA-planned) food.
It could be a mix-up in ingredients, like the wrong thing put into the right recipe.
It could be contamination with an unknown toxin.

It's interesting that all the brands named, except Nutro and Iams, are what I consider "off-brands" of junk. Not major manufacturers. I am surprised that Iams is included, and SHOCKED that Nutro is, because I consider them to be very well made and reliable companies (though I have an issue with the fish meal put into all Iams dry cat food).

It's a mystery to me right now. I have no inside info on the case histories of the affected animals. They seem quite certain that this is a very recent, and presumably acute, instance of RENAL DAMAGE from something.

I don't get the above post with the blind speculation about rapeseed oil. I have not heard anything about that possibility and so it's currently just rumormongering AFAIAC.

[WindRavenX]

10. Are they investigating the cause?

Because it should be fairly easy to figure out, no?

[LiberalHeart]

31. I heard on the radio that Hills Science Diet is on the list, too...

...which shocked me. I thought Iams, Hills, and Nutro are supposed to be such special foods -- yet they're coming from this same supplier???

[kestrel91316]

37. Hills is doing a voluntary recall (I don't know of any ARF cases

in pets eating the Hill's recall item) of their canned chunk-type cat foods (not the ground type).

They do say that Menu Foods is a "co-manufacturer" of that particular product.

[ScreamingMeemie]

86. Hills has two lines. Science Diet and Prescription Diet.

the Prescription diet is only available from the vet (for hugely high prices). But, it did keep my dog from getting the bladder stones that the heavily concentrated doses of magnesium, found in most dog foods inclding Science Diet, were giving her.

[Divernan]

3. Our pets really deserve more legal protection/i.e., food inspection.

It was a shock to many petowners, who have chosen to pay for brands which are more expensive, in the belief that they are getting a better quality for their pets. I recently learned that many of the moist pet foods have addictive additives, such that cats (at least) won't want to eat other foods.

The vet my daughter takes her cats to, referred to 9 Lives canned food as "kitty crack". When cats are sick and generally not eating, they may eat 9 Lives when refusing anything else.

If you think about it, we know cigarette mfrs./Big Tobacco learned to add more nicotine to get people hooked on smoking very quickly. A business which pushes the same product under some 40 or so different brand names, at a significant variation in price, would have no ethical problems in doctoring the food. I doubt the FDA (ineffective and understaffed as it is) even looks at petfood - sort of a shame since we know poor senior citizens eat it.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

9. many, many years ago, Recipe was caught

putting addictive stuff in its canned food, and had to remove it and pay a huge fine. Since then, there has been little media attention or investigation of the industry.

I was looking for dry dog food (all my pups get), when I was struck by a horrible idea.

here, we have entire retail establishments dedicated to feeding pets. They have long aisles with competing brands of dog and cat food, with each of them claiming to better than the others. I counted 47 brands of dry dog food at petsmart, not counting the same manufacturer treating pups and elder dogs differently.
Yet, we have vets going untreated, we have military forced to deal with Wally Reed, and we have more than a million homeless, hungry vets and kids roaming the country.

what is wrong with us?

[Why Syzygy]

131. My kitty,

adopted from a reputable animal saving agency was addicted to "Greenies" from day one.
Kitty crack no doubt. I have switched him to other 'treats', which don't have the same addictive quality.

That is just wrong. Putting our animals on addictive substances.

[Hepburn]

4. I am so afraid of canned pet food right now that my dog...

...is NOT getting any. She rarely gets canned food ~~ but with this scare and recall? No way. Kibble mixed with chicken I cook myself. That is her standard meal except for her Sunday Cheeseburger steak and baked potato. Only used canned if we were away and it was meal time for her. But NOT now.

I would like an explanation as to what happened. I get the feeling that it's just cats and dogs...ho hum...and that bothers me.

[riverdeep]

58. Cheeseburger steak and baked potato!

That's one pampered pooch! Awesome.

[petronius]

5. It's PEOPLE!

/Soylent Green

[Lone_Star_Dem]

6. No, but they have been said to use euthanized pets from shelters

Which would be the animal equivalent to "soylent green."


Edit: I misspoke.

[Warpy]

11. I've been searching, too, with no success at all

The only thing they've said is that the basic "chunk" in the pet food is made out of seitan (formed gluten) and that they had changed manufacturers recently. If the animals (and a few humans) are dying of renal failure, that pretty much means some sort of chemical contamination, either an industrial chemical, pesticide, herbicide, or even an overdose of a drug.

Somebody needs to fess up fast.

On edit: rapeseed doesn't produce renal failure. Castor bean does, along with liver death and other unpleasant things.

[Tesha]

199. No, it doesn't...

> If the animals (and a few humans) are dying of renal failure,
> that pretty much means some sort of chemical contamination,
> either an industrial chemical, pesticide, herbicide, or even
> an overdose of a drug.

No, it doesn't.

As you'll recall, the people who end up dying of the
most heinous forms of E. coli usually die of kidney
failure.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escherichia_coli_O157%3AH7

Tesha

[kestrel91316]

12. Hill's Science Diet is voluntarily participating in the recall:

http://www.vin.com/WebLink.plx?URL=http://www.hillspet.com/menu_foods/Menu_Foods_en_US.htm

Just certain of their Savory Cuts canned foods for cats.

There is SOME PROBLEM with the CUT-UP CHUNKS type of food.

I don't ever stock or recommend it, because they sneak fish into it, lol. Guess that was a good call on my part, if for the wrong reason.

[Gelliebeans]

87. kestral, I have had

all my animals on Van Pattan's Natural Balance (mostly dry) but occasionally give them Natural Balance wet food as a treat, should I hold off on the wet food until we find out more about the specific cause of the tainted food? For instance whether it is caused by poor processing or the ingredients alone. I don't know that much about it and my vet is away and she has a fill in vet that didn't have enough information.

[kestrel91316]

104. If the food isn't on the recall list, it's not a problem.

The chunks-in-gravy type food made with wheat gluten appears to be the problem.

[mruddy]

13. Menu Foods' press release can be read at

http://www.menufoods.com/recall/Press_Recall_03162007.pdf

The first time I read it I could swear it said that the ingredient from a new supplier was corn gluten and they were going to check into it. Now I don't see any reference to the corn gluten in the article???

There's an article at http://www.yubanet.com/artman/publish/article_52782.shtml about a genetically engineered corn produced by Monsanto, having shown signs of kidney and liver toxicity in rats but has been cleared for use as food for humans and animals in spite of the toxic effects on internal organs.

Sure makes a person wonder!!

[Doremus]

75. Wheat gluten is referenced in this article.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070316/ap_on_he_me/pet_food_recall

"At this juncture, we're not 100 percent sure what's happened," said Paul Henderson, the company's president and chief executive officer. However, the recalled products were made using wheat gluten purchased from a new supplier, since dropped for another source, spokeswoman Sarah Tuite said. Wheat gluten is a source of protein."

[orleans]

82. i am so damn sick of monsanto lately i can't begin to tell you.

i wish someone would sue them off the face of the earth!

they are like a mine field of toxic crap.

[Olney Blue]

14. It's odd that there is no information on whether it is an infectious agent.

I'm alarmed because I recently discovered that my two elderly dogs with dental problems love the packets of soft food with gravy (I have been buying Iams). I was relieved to finally find a good way to feed them, and now this.....

I would also note that before I found the soft-pacs I was adding water to the dry food to soften it. If they didn't eat it within a couple hours, I threw it out because it would grow mold/bacteria almost immediately. I think even the dry food has severe contamination issues.

We need information ASAP.

[kestrel91316]

63. Dry food WILL get moldy if you put water on it and let it sit at room temp, lol.

It's a perfect growth medium for fungi once it gets wet. That's why it's sold dry.

[kestrel91316]

15. A veterinary discussion board I am part of is hot on the trail of

the problem. Apparently the manufacturer is using a NEW SOURCE FOR WHEAT GLUTEN in the foods in question.

Also, all the cases so far appear to be in CATS. Not sure why Menu Foods didn't come right out and say this.

[Sancho]

91. Our local TV news in Clearwater reports suspicious dog deaths...

Two dogs with renal failure last week eating some of the recalled food. One was a chiuaua. I think there are test results they are waiting for, but the local vets are saying two dogs on the same food in the same house (different ages, etc.) eating the recalled food is pretty weird (Iams!). They interviewed the owners last night. One sick dog survived...

[kestrel91316]

105. Vets are reporting seeing entire households of pets all affected

at the same time.

[RamboLiberal]

137. Same here in Pittsburgh

A number of cases are being reported in dogs that ate the recalled food. This is going to be huge! I hope the bastards get put out of business.

[kestrel91316]

140. It's not the fault of the pet food companies, IMHO, It's the fault of

whoever supplied the ingredient in question.

Probably some skinflint wheat broker who had a bad lot he wanted to dump rather than destroy...............:mad:

[Bitwit1234]

16. My older female cat 17 yrs old and the 3yr male

like dry cat food. But they do like the pouch food and only lick up the juice. They won't touch the little bits of cat food in the pouch. And I thought Iams was the best. Altho I have a change around, Whiskas and Alley Cat. So the get a variety.

But now I am worried. I just put my calico cat to sleep. The vet said her stomach were full of tumors and she kept swelling up and he would have to drain her, because the diuretic wouldn't work. I wonder if it had to do with the cat food. Special Kitty was one of the recalls and she loved that, the other two wouldn't eat it. I finally had to have her put to sleep when she stopped eating hardly anything and kept getting bigger and bigger after each drain. I am going to call my vet tomorrow and see what he thinks. My two cats like the Whiska and Frisky pouches not Special Kitty.

[Bitwit1234]

17. PS I meant to say this also

I read I think it was CNN that it had something to do with a wheat additive they put in the food, and that they were checking it.

[kestrel91316]

28. THROW YOUR POUCH FOOD AWAY. If it's a fungal toxin, even

the gravy could cause problems.

[kestrel91316]

18. Another issue being looked at is possible Vitamin D toxicity -

hypervitaminosis D has recently been a problem in another food - Eukanuba?

[kestrel91316]

19. There are LOTS LOTS LOTS more cases out there, it appears.

All in cats so far.

PLEASE - if you have been feeding your cats any of the recalled foods since last December please watch very closely for any decreased appetite, vomiting, increased water consumption, increased amount of urine being produced (using lots more cat litter). If you suspect your cat is ill, get it to the vet to have kidney function checked. They are seeing problems in some very young cats, under 5 years (where we rarely see kidney failure).

[Karenina]

22. 10 pet deaths would NOT trigger

such a massive recall, would they? That's still in the range of plausible deniability. Something REALLY STINKS here.

[kestrel91316]

29. There are A LOT more than 10 deaths. The board I have been

referencing is abuzz with vets from all over the country who have been losing patients right and left from acute renal failure (something normally uncommon).

[kestrel91316]

20. Apparently there are some suspicious renal failures in dogs on

the recalled foods, too.

Comparisons are being made to ANTIFREEZE TOXICITY (ethylene glycol) with respect to acuteness and severity.

So now kestrel puts on her thinking cap and wonders of the food got comtaminated with ethylene glycol somehow............

[kestrel91316]

21. Ok, blind speculation from kestrel here.................

wheat gluten............GMO wheat?????

A repeat of the tryptophan fiasco????????

[kestrel91316]

23. I am SOOOOOOOO glad I have been telling my clients for years

that they should NOT feed their cats canned foods unless their is some compelling medical reason to do so.

None of my clients called about this either Friday or yesterday. But lots of vets on the board I'm monitoring have tons of clients feeding this crap to their cats.

[Donnachaidh]

30. so what should we feed them?

I use Mother Hubbard, and they seem to thrive with it. I'd love suggestions on alternates.

[kestrel91316]

42. I recommend a top quality dry food such as Hill's Science Diet, or

Max Cat. Even Iams dry is ok for most cats.

Canned food: best not to feed it if you don't have to, for many reasons. Avoid canned foods from any of the companies on the Menu Foods list. I feel comfortable in still recommending Science Diet canned foods that are NOT the chunks in gravy and that also do not contain fish. On my shelf here is the Science Diet Adult Chicken & Liver canned. I have the utmost confidence in it.

The recalls involve foods that have wheat gluten in them. That's the fakey "meat" chunks. I never did trust that stuff, and lots of cats won't touch it.

[Donnachaidh]

64. Okay, but we had a male cat that had a urinary tract problem from dry

It was so bad, in fact, we had to have him operated on, almost like a sex change, because of the blockage. I'm very wary of feeding my male only dry food because of it.

Have they changed the dry enough to keep them from having this problem?

[kestrel91316]

71. I don't see urinary problems in cats on Science Diet dry, Max Cat dry,

or even Costco's Kirkland dry, as a general rule. They are formulated with just the right mix of plant and animal proteins to produce a healthy urine pH, and as long as you avoid the ones that are fish flavored you avoid the magnesium issue, too.

Science Diet and Max Cat are the only two companies that consistently avoid putting fish into dry food that isn't labeled fish flavor (can't vouch for their canned anymore in that regard).

If your cat needs help to maintain a healthy urine pH, Hill's Prescription Diet C/D is usually the ticket. But most cats don't need that, they just need to avoid the crap out thhere that causes problems.

NO FISH NO FISH NO FISH
NO CHEAP JUNK NO CHEAP JUNK NO CHEAP JUNK

[Patiod]

103. That's what our vet sez: NO FISH

Tough to find, so our little creature gets California Naturals, which is one of the few I can find w/o fish. She was getting dime-sized open sores on her face and mouth until we switched her over, and she's been sore-free ever since.

She does pester to get her small 1/2 teaspoon of wet twice a day - Merrick's strangely named no-fish flavors (e.g., gramma's pot pie)

[kestrel91316]

72. Oh, and with the perineal urethrostomy surgery (not a "sex change", lol)

your kitty would be hard pressed to ever obstruct again. So dietary-induced bladder disease isn't any more dangerous in him now than it is in a female.

[Donnachaidh]

102. yeah, but it's one EXPENSIVE way to *cure* a problem caused by food

don't you think?

That particular male has been gone for many years. And I *cringe* at the thought of what that surgery would cost TODAY (it was done in the late 70's). But I do have a male cat, and I DO want to avoid putting him through the pain and the surgery of a blockage caused by FOOD. It's bad enough he's been neutered (I'm not saying it's bad to neuter -- it's just watching the pout he had for weeks after neutering) - I'm not about to pay for yet another cost I can avoid.

[kestrel91316]

106. That's why I'm so big on prevention. I tend to only see cats needing

the surgery among my NEW patients as opposed to the ones I've been seeing a while.

I better shut up and not tempt fate.

[Donnachaidh]

110. I don't think many people realize the problem can be severe

And my Mom's cat was our darling so we spent several hundred dollars in the late 70's in order to keep him from dying from this stuff. It was a good call, he lived another 12+ years.

I've had male cats since, and never had the problem. But my new male (a foundling) is extremely sensitive about food, so I doubt if we will have the problems we had with the earlier cat. Dude (the new one) is a DIVA about his tummy. Which is probably a good thing.

[Phillycat]

116. Kestral, may I ask...

I've heard a lot from different animal professionals that male cats need wet food to give them more liquid in their diet - that they tend to dehydrate or get constipated or have UTI problems without it. My little guy (just about a year old) used to eat the wet food, but I've had him on just dry Science Diet for about 5 months now, and I haven't noticed anything. His poos do seem a little dryer, but it's not causing him any pain and he's still pooping as much as he did before. What do you think? :shrug:

[kestrel91316]

122. Animals (and people, too) drink based on the sodium content of

their blood. When you feed dry food, which has little water in it, the animal perceives the need to drink. When you feed canned food, which is mostly water, you will notice far less water consumption because the sodium level is kept pretty optimum just by the water in the food.

Some sources say cats fed canned food actually take in more water overall than cats fed dry (who drink more), but I think this is BS. The sodium content is the driving force behind drinking.

I feed my cats Science Diet dry food, no canned. Never had ANY urinary problems. That said, feeding ONLY a CHEAP, junky dry food will get you into trouble because of the plant/animal protein ratios and frequently high magnesium content. So if you feed only dry, it's important to not cut corners.

[Phillycat]

124. Good to know.

And of course my baby boy gets ONLY the best. :D I would no sooner give him crappy cat food than I would let him run around on the streets at night. Science Diet all the way here! Thanks for the answer, and Prince Charming thanks you too:

[kestrel91316]

135. Oh he's CUTE. He looks like my Boochi probably did as a youngster.

[Doremus]

78. This is a good resource.

http://www.dogaware.com/dogfeeding.html#commercial

The best foods use human grade ingredients. There are lists of dog and cat foods on this site, dry and canned, that use high quality human grade ingredients and NO cheapo glutens or by-products.

If you aren't a scientist or otherwise adept at interpreting often misleading product labeling, choosing a product on this list is your best bet for finding a good quality food.

PS Not associated with this site in any way. I've found it helpful and hope others will too.

[LiberalHeart]

32. What do you think of Iams dry food?

I quit giving my cat wet food after finding bone and tufts of hair in it.

[kestrel91316]

38. Iams dry is a perfectly acceptable food with the exception of

the damned fish meal they insist in putting into ALL of the dry food.

If your cat doesn't have issues with fish, probably no reason to switch.

[kestrel91316]

25. Ochratoxin A, found in wheat contaminated with a fungus, can

cause renal toxicity.

We may have the guilty party figured out...............

[whistle]

35. You mean a fungus like corn smut? Like corn which has been

...genetically altered to resist fungus, but in fact allows some fungus to grow unnoticed, gets into the product and poisons the animals? I can see that scenario getting passed inspectors especially in a pet food manufacturing firm where the standards are pretty lenient

[kestrel91316]

39. It's not corn, but rather wheat (specifically wheat gluten) which

is suspect here.

[kestrel91316]

43. You mean THIS corn smut?

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/3119.html

A tasty edible treat. The Mexican version of mushrooms, it seems.

This is NOT our problem.

[fairfaxvadem]

36. are you hearing that the onset is rapid?

How long between ingestion and arf? My two have been eating the pouches, none dated during the recall period, and they had none of it while I was gone last week, just dry. Both, knock on wood, appear to be fine.

Is this something that occurs fairly rapidly?

[kestrel91316]

40. VERY rapid. Within as little as one to two days in some cases.

Believe it or not, this a GOOD THING with respect to figuring out the cause.

Can you imagine the difficulty if it was a reaction delayed by days or weeks??????? I can, and I cringe.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

26. maybe we needs ta K&R for more exposure, coverage and answers.

because I happen to have three of the best small dogs in the world. The baby is only 9 months, and weighs only 140 lbs. the middle guy is yrs older, but 40 lbs lighter. The old fart is a 14 yr old golden puppy who hates the newbie, but still is the most loyal friendly obedient and graceful except while running and making a sharp turn, lapdog ever.
not that I am biased, or anything.

[InvisibleTouch]

33. There is very VERY little regulation of the petfood industry.

And it is an industry, a multi-billion dollar one. As with most corporate colossi, the intention is to manufacture as cheaply as possible and sell for the highest possible profit. To that end, the pet food industry scrounges up every scrap of "food" that can't be used for any other purpose, including diseased, rotting, and contaminated meats, in effect turning waste and refuse into a saleable product.

Check out this book for an overview:

http://www.amazon.com/Food-Pets-Die-Shocking-Facts/dp/0939165465/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-5512430-4778318?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1174265975&sr=1-1

I do a lot of home cooking and raw feeding, but for plain old practical considerations, with 5 big dogs, I can't feed them an exclusive home-prepared diet. So I use kibble also, but I'm very picky as to the brands.

There are some good commercial pet foods out there, made with human-grade and even organic ingredients, but you're unlikely to find them at the local supermarket. Do read the labels, and look for a real meat source (not a "meal" or a "by-product") as the first ingredient.

My favorite source for ordering pet food is here:

http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/default.asp?AffiliateCode=PF012803%2C+PF012803&mscssid=53FEE6JGMG6Q9LRGK71FU3CX6S605E4F

They do carry some of the junk brands, but also the good stuff.

[riverdeep]

59. Knowing what I know

about human food comsumption, I don't even want to think what goes on with respect to our pets. It would probably make Upton Sinclair's 'The Jungle' look positively sterile. When are they going to invent a brain scanner that let's our pets 'talk'.

[undergroundpanther]

157. We can see through thier eyes..

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/471786.stm

[kestrel91316]

41. Will everybody please K&R so this gets up on the Greatest Page

because it's vitally important that people get good, current info on this developing news.

[NotGivingUp]

44. k & r...i have 3 cats that i think i'm going to start cooking for. eom

[Kool Kitty]

45. Another Kick.

I have four cats. I feed them Pet Promise and Newman's and they enjoy both. But this is seriously worrying me, because I lost my fifteen-year-old Abbey to renal failure in December. I have been feeding them both of these cat foods for a couple of years. Neither are produced by the company in question and I've checked the labels for any sort of gluten. I feed them dry and wet, but no chunks in gravy. Oy.

[gardenista]

46. k & r

Thanks for all of your work to keep us informed, Kestrel.

I don't have any pets right now, but there are many cats and dogs among my friends, family, and neighbors who I love and hope are safe.

[Seedersandleechers]

60. Good for you!

Only you don't have to cook for cats. They have been eating fresh raw meats/organs for thousands of years. I don't understand why anyone would feed a cat corn, rice wheat etc. They are 100% carnivorous.

[kestrel91316]

66. INCORRECT. Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning that they require meat

in their diet for certain vital nutrients they cannot otherwise obtain due to their metabolic and physiologic differences from dogs. They are in no way required to eat exclusively animal foods.

They do require a high level of protein in their diet compared to dogs, and grains are mostly carbs, so too much grain in the diet obviously displaces the needed protein source.

Raw food diets for animals are a known public health hazard due to the risk of E coli 0157H7, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Toxoplasma, tapeworms, and other nasties that can either infect the human who handles/prepares the food, or if the pet gets infected they can spread infection to the owner.

Don't even THINK about a raw food diet. This is foolish and disgusting to contemplate. And irresponsible.

[monarch]

90. We added Taurine to the diet of a cat

being fed only venison (supplied by a friendly neighborhood hunter) in an attempt to rule out food allergies as the cause of an intractable skin problem.

[NotGivingUp]

95. sounds like the perfect cat food.

did you serve it raw? how did your cat like it? did it get rid of the skin problem?

[monarch]

97. Actually we sauteed it for him.

After thousands of dollars and many hours of trips to specialists, the problem turned out to be an allergy to flea bites. We, my partner and I, had suspected that that might be the problem from the very beginning but we deferred to the experts and nobody ever found any fleas or bites on him until the very end--at a time when the vets were recommending euthanasia.

Once we correctly identified the problem, it cleared up immediately, and he lived several happy years after that, succumbing eventually to a hereditary thyroid problem. That occurred after a very expensive radiation treatment.

[NotGivingUp]

115. sounds like your cat had a couple of very caring people looking out for him! eom

[NotGivingUp]

94. i have read that raw is better for them because it still has the necessary enzymes

but did also read about the bacteria problem.

[Holly_Hobby]

127. I feed raw and have a few questions

1. Why do dogs and cats have carnivore teeth, sharp for ripping and tearing, as opposed to humans, who have flat teeth for grinding plant material?

2. Why do dogs and cats have short digestive systems, as opposed to humans who have long ones?

3. Why don't dogs or cats manufacture the enzymes necessary for digestion of plant material?

4. Dogs eat poop and lick their butts, which contain e. coli. Why don't they die from doing these things?

5. As far as the bacteria, what is the difference between throwing the meat in the pan for myself or throwing it on the driveway for the dogs, if I use safe meat handling techniques?

6. Freezing meat for 30 days at below zero kills all parasites, according to the FDA and CDC, per a phone call to both when I was researching raw food.

My 12 year old Collie's life-long dry eye and chronic dry skin was cured within 2 weeks of raw food. He has mast cell cancer, so the fewer carbs, the better for him, no?

With all due respect. Thanks. :hi:

[foo_bar]

161. it might be easier for kestrel if your elementary school questions were phrased as statements

As in, "here's what I believe: bacteria are the same thing as parasites, so freezing should take care of the problem even though e.coli, like most bacteria, survives freezing; safe meat handling doesn't involve cooking, in spite of our species gaining prominence by virtue of the discovery and application of fire some half a million years ago (unless you prefer the Prometheus version); antibodies don't exist, thus animals should die from eating their own poop; dogs and cats don't chew their cud unlike humans, and plus humans have flat teeth like incisors, canines and bicuspids, while dogs and cats are basically the same, endocrine and digestive system wise."

In other words, your questions make assumptions that aren't found in reality.

[kestrel91316]

181. Ok, here we go:

1) Dogs and cats have caarnivore teeth because they are carnivores. Actually dogs are functionally omnivorous, but they can live as carnivores exclusively. Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they REQUIRE some animal protein in their diet and will die if made vegetarian.

2) Same thing. They are carnivores.

3) Presumes a fact not in evidence. They can and do digest some plant material, like grains, just like humans do. But, not being herbivores. they lack the digestive components that break down LIGNIN, so they cannot subsist on grasses, twigs, and such like horses and cows can.

4) Because the normal E coli found in their GI tracts is a commensal organism, almost a part of the animal. They would die if you tried to kill off the normal inhabitants of the GI tract. The E coli of concern in Shiga-toxic E coli, aka STEC aka E coli O157H7, which is a newer PATHOGENIC strain, sort of the evil twon of our normal E coli. STEC did the dirty deed with Shigella and picked up the gene for producing the toxin, and now we have to deal with it. It requires conditions like are found in the rumen and lower GI tract of feedlot cattle (as opposed to grass-fed), so it is a disease that results from factory farming. The cattle tolerate it, but in the packing plants it winds up contaminating the meats. As little as one STEC organism can cause infection, and theoretically death, in a human.

5) Cooking kills bacteria. Did you remember to wash your hands? And the countertop where you handled the meat?

6) You have a sub-zero freezer??? Most folks don't. And bacteria are not parasites.

I rest my case. Care to try again?

Raw food diets are acknowledged by medical and veterinary and infectious disease authorities around the world to be a public health hazard. But you go right ahead and risk your own health, or your pets', or your child's. Don't let me stop you.

[NotGivingUp]

93. but the meat they sell in the store has bacteria.

i have fed a raw bit here and there, but always feared the bacteria factor. have you had your pets on a raw food diet?

[Seedersandleechers]

99. I've been feeding raw for years

In fact I have a vet who encourages it. She explained to me the cats can defend against bacteria that we can not. I keep my kitchen clean, a 10% bleach solution goes a long way. Yearly exam with stool samples is followed up. I have never had any kind of medical problems with my cats.

[kestrel91316]

107. I hate to say it, but because of it being COMMON KNOWLEDGE

that feeding a diet with raw meat constitutes a known and verified public health hazard, your vet is playing with fire in recommending a raw food diet.

If harm results and there is a lawsuit, it's a slam-dunk loss for the vet.

[InvisibleTouch]

170. Sorry, but I don't see the "public health hazard."

As a poster above stated, where's the difference between cutting up raw chicken to throw in a pan and cook for yourself, and cutting up raw chicken to give to your dogs? Either way, you're handling raw meat, and either way, hygiene is the key. I do feed a partially raw diet to my dogs, and they've never had a problem with parasites or bacteria. I freeze the meat first, and I don't give bones, so I'm aware of safety issues, but I don't buy that feeding a natural diet is a health hazard - certainly no more so than feeding commercial food that has who-knows-what ingredients and contaminants.

On edit: I do appreciate your contribution and valuable info in this thread. I just very much disagree with your take on feeding raw/homecooked, from my own research, experience, and that of other breeders.

[Seedersandleechers]

175. Maybe that is why my vet keeps telling me a lot of vets are

brainwashed by the pet food industry.

[Name removed]

182. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[InvisibleTouch]

186. Funny you never answered the question, if it's so simple.

"Too stupid to bother with" - you know, it's that attitude that turns people off from conventional medicine of all sorts, not to mention the pervasive corporate influence that creeps into all aspects of our society.

I've said I appreciated the info you've come up with on this problem, and I do. But just because not everyone agrees with you about feeding, doesn't make us "stupid" - it perhaps makes us informed on a topic that you clearly have some biases on. Don't assume that others haven't done research and don't perhaps have a background in the field as well.

[Seedersandleechers]

174. Just a list of cat/dog breeders who use the same

raw food vendor as myself... I doubt all these breeders have sick animals.



Borzoi
Kennel/Cattery Name: LEPUS REG'D ~ Whippets & Borzoi
Contact: Roberta & James Jamieson
Address:
State: ON
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.lepus.reach.net


Airedale Terriers
Kennel/Cattery Name: Trevorwood
Contact: Carol Coalson
Address: 3234 Duck Road
State: NE
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.airedalesoftrevorwood.com


Akita
Kennel/Cattery Name: Sunapee Akitas
Contact: Linda Walker
Address:
State:
Phone:
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.sunapeeakitas.com


Austrailian Kelpies
Kennel/Cattery Name: K9 Korral
Contact: Terri Coutts
Address:
State:
Phone:
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.terriworld.com


Austrailian Kelpies
Kennel/Cattery Name: k-9 Korral
Contact: Terri Coutts
Address:
State:
Phone:
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.terriworld.com


Australian Shepherds
Kennel/Cattery Name: Roanoak Aussies
Contact: Monica Barger
Address: 345 Road 12
State: NE
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: incolor.inetnebr.com/roanoak/home.htm


Australian Shepherds
Kennel/Cattery Name: Pinecrest Aussies
Contact: Connie Hull
Address: 4525 - 83rd Avenue
State: CO
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.geocities.com/aussieart80634


Australian Shepherds
Kennel/Cattery Name: Daybreak Australian Shepherds
Contact: Sheryl & Tera Kaminski
Address:
State: WI
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.daybreakaussies.com


Azawakh
Kennel/Cattery Name: Xanadu Working Sighthounds and Terriers
Contact: Alison Tyler
Address: 3869 Vickie Court
State: GA
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website:


Basenjis
Kennel/Cattery Name: Basenjis
Contact: James Hicks
Address: 5027 13th Place N.E
State:
Phone:
Email: [e-mail]
Website: onlynatural.info/James.htm


Belgian Sheepdogs
Kennel/Cattery Name: Belgians Du Soleil
Contact: Philip & Julie Codding
Address:
State: OH
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.belgiansdusoleil.com


Bengals
Kennel/Cattery Name: Nibiru Bengals
Contact: Jaclyn Sladek
Address:
State: FE
Phone:
Email: [e-mail]
Website: nibirubengals.tripod.com


Border Collies
Kennel/Cattery Name: Lochlea Border Collies
Contact: Wendy Roller
Address:
State: AL
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: none


Border Collies
Kennel/Cattery Name: Jaya Great Danes and Border Collies
Contact: Jody Loop
Address: 22425 N Hwy 67
State: IL
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: jayak9.freeservers.com/


Border Collies
Kennel/Cattery Name: k-9 Korral
Contact: Terri Coutts
Address:
State:
Phone:
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.terriworld.com


Border Collies
Kennel/Cattery Name: Brecon Border Collies
Contact: Kim
Address:
State:
Phone:
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.breconbordercollies.com


Border Collies
Kennel/Cattery Name: Border Collies
Contact: Judi Amore
Address: 570 Bradley Road
State: IL
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website:


Border Collies
Kennel/Cattery Name: Harb Heaven Farms
Contact: Sharon Harbison
Address: 1304 275th Street
State: IO
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.harbheavenfarms.com


Border Terriers
Kennel/Cattery Name: Boldwind Border Terriers, Reg'd
Contact: Carole & Sandy Baldwin
Address: 808 Forbes Rd
State: MA
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: no website


Bouvier des Flandres
Kennel/Cattery Name: RivrVue Bouviers
Contact: Judy B Simmons
Address: P.O.Box 8815
State: MS
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: no webiste


Boxer
Kennel/Cattery Name: Web Boxer Kennels
Contact: Lynn Geib
Address: 10032 Mc Cord Road
State: WI
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website:


Boxer
Kennel/Cattery Name: Tienlung Boxers, Reg'd
Contact: K.C. O'Brien
Address: Box 50 Tawatinaw
State:
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.falkorboxers.com


British Shorthairs
Kennel/Cattery Name: Owhl Scotish Folds
Contact: Sally Patch
Address:
State: MI
Phone: 734 - 326-1240
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.owhl.com


Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
Kennel/Cattery Name: Winfield Cavaliers
Contact: Elise Favin
Address:
State: MA
Phone:
Email:
Website: www.winfieldcavaliers.com


Chihuahua
Kennel/Cattery Name: Starsen
Contact: Stacey Amirov
Address:
State: RI
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: http://members.cox.net/starsen/


Chinese-Crested
Kennel/Cattery Name: Swank-Haus Kennels
Contact: Gail
Address: 5090 Croft Mill Rd
State: OH
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: swank-haus.tripod.com/swankhauskennels/index.html


Cocker Spaniel
Kennel/Cattery Name: Kriss Kross Cocker Spaniels
Contact: Donna Andrews
Address: 22 Angelo St
State: MA
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: no website


Cocker Spaniels
Kennel/Cattery Name: Westland American Cocker Spaniels
Contact: Lynne Andress
Address: Chilliwack, B.C. Canada
State:
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.westlandcockers.com


Collie
Kennel/Cattery Name: Briallen Collies
Contact: Kathie
Address:
State: WI
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: http://www.geocities.com/briallencollie/index.html


Dachshunds
Kennel/Cattery Name: Doxikota Dachshunds
Contact: Pam Bethke
Address:
State: SD
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: doxikota.tripod.com


Dachshunds
Kennel/Cattery Name: TAC Dachshunds
Contact: Amy Clark
Address:
State: MI
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.tacdachshunds.com


Dalmations
Kennel/Cattery Name: Mystic Woods Dalmations
Contact: Mary Raleigh
Address: 42 Pine Hill Rd.
State: NJ
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.mysticwoodsdals.com


Dobermans
Kennel/Cattery Name: Swank-Haus Kennels
Contact: Gail
Address: 5090 Croft Mill Rd
State: OH
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: swank-haus.tripod.com/swankhauskennels/index.html


Dogue De Bordeaux (French Mastiff)
Kennel/Cattery Name: End of The Road Kennels
Contact: Dennis Von Hof
Address:
State: PE
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: http://www.endoftheroadkennels.com/index.htm


French Bull Dogs
Kennel/Cattery Name: Mirabeau Treazurz
Contact: Tina & Rod Brown
Address: 17330 Broadway Ave #A
State: WA
Phone:
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.mirabeau.org


French Bull Dogs
Kennel/Cattery Name: Dreamcatcher French Bulldogs
Contact: Angela Swicegood
Address:
State: AR
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.frenchiesr4me.com/index.html


French Bull Dogs
Kennel/Cattery Name: French bull dogs
Contact: James Hicks
Address: 5027 13th Place N.E.
State:
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: onlynatural.info/James.htm


German Shepherd
Kennel/Cattery Name: Mathausen German Shepherds
Contact: Cheryl Mathis
Address:
State: N.
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.geocities.com/mathausen9/index.html


German Shepherd
Kennel/Cattery Name: Vom Haus Weinbrand
Contact: Valerie Gainer
Address: 220 E Paige Ave.
State: OH
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.vomhausweinbrand.com


Golden Retriever
Kennel/Cattery Name: Goldiggers
Contact: Diane Mellon
Address: 818 Sycamore Ave
State: N
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.goldiggers.com


Great Dane
Kennel/Cattery Name: Jaya Great Danes and Border Collies
Contact: Jody Loop
Address: 22425 N Hwy 67
State: IL
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: jayak9.freeservers.com/


Great Dane
Kennel/Cattery Name: InStyle Pets
Contact: Jaime Lewers
Address:
State: B.
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.instylepets.biz


Great Dane
Kennel/Cattery Name: Erebors Danes
Contact: Amanda Perry
Address:
State: OH
Phone:
Email: [e-mail]
Website: ereborsdanes.buildtolearn.net/


Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs
Kennel/Cattery Name: TwinPeaks GSMD...Naturally!
Contact: Erin McWilliams
Address:
State: NE
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.trainadog.com


Havanese
Kennel/Cattery Name: Way Out West Havanese
Contact: Blake Morgan
Address: 1904 Whitewater Dr NE
State: NM
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.wowhavs.com/


Hovawarts
Kennel/Cattery Name: Vom Treuen Freund Hovawarts
Contact: Susan Garka
Address:
State: WA
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.geocities.com/hovawartdogs/index.html


Ibizan Hounds
Kennel/Cattery Name: Smotare Ibizan Hounds
Contact: Nancy Wissell
Address: 6034 Hamilton Ave.,
State: OH
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website:


Ibizan Hounds
Kennel/Cattery Name: DeJa'Vue Hounds
Contact: Rose Bednarski
Address: 202 Yule Road
State: WA
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.dejavuehounds.com


IRISH WOLFHOUNDS
Kennel/Cattery Name: KARONTARA IRISH WOLFHOUNDS
Contact: Karon L Volk
Address: 3560 Horse Creek Rd
State: WY
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: no website


Italian Greyhounds
Kennel/Cattery Name: Rhamah
Contact: Mary Marlowe
Address: 832 Bailey Woods Road
State: GA
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.onlynatural.info


Jack Russell Terrier
Kennel/Cattery Name: Xanadu Working Sighthounds and Terriers
Contact: Alison Tyler
Address: 3869 Vickie Court
State: GA
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website:


Kerry Blue Terriers
Kennel/Cattery Name: PennTerra`s Kerry Blue Terries
Contact: Youlia Anderson
Address: 61 S.Heck road
State: PA
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: http://www.furrytaleceramics.com/kerry.html


Labrador Retrievers
Kennel/Cattery Name: Sierra's Kennel & Labradors
Contact: Bonnie Day
Address: 249 Bennett Rd
State: ME
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.sierraskennel.com


Labrador Retrievers
Kennel/Cattery Name: TARALABRADORS
Contact: Becky
Address:
State: FL
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.taralabradors.com


Labrador Retrievers
Kennel/Cattery Name: Tessera Labrador Retrievers
Contact: Lori A. Randall
Address: N7431 Meadowlark Road
State: WI
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: no webiste


Labrador Retrievers
Kennel/Cattery Name: Remedi Sussex Spaniels
Contact: Debbi Miller
Address: 5939 Trumbull Rd
State: OH
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website:


Lowchen
Kennel/Cattery Name: Seafever Kennel
Contact: Janet Nienhaus
Address: 75 Brisbane Ct
State: LA
Phone: 70458
Email: [e-mail]
Website: Seafeverlowchenandpwds.com


Miniature Dachshunds
Kennel/Cattery Name: Ruger Miniature Dachshunds
Contact: Dawn-Renée Mack
Address:
State: CO
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.rugerdachshunds.com


Miniature Pinschers
Kennel/Cattery Name: Swank-Haus Kennels
Contact: Gail
Address: 5090 Croft Mill Rd
State: OH
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: swank-haus.tripod.com/swankhauskennels/index.html


Miniature Pinschers
Kennel/Cattery Name: Rocky Ridge Miniature Pinschers
Contact: Melissa Wilson
Address:
State: MA
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: no website


Miniature Schnauzer
Kennel/Cattery Name: Alpats Miniature Schnauzers
Contact: Pat Hunt
Address:
State: IN
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.alpats.com


Pixie-bobs
Kennel/Cattery Name: Whitetail Run
Contact: Carlas Smith
Address:
State: VI
Phone:
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.whitetailrun.com


Polish Lowland Sheepdogs
Kennel/Cattery Name: Sinclair Pons
Contact: Cheryl Kerner
Address:
State: OK
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.sinclairpons.com


Poodles
Kennel/Cattery Name: ParrisHill Standard Poodles
Contact: Marion Banta
Address:
State: NE
Phone:
Email: [e-mail]
Website:


Portuguese Water Dogs
Kennel/Cattery Name: Regina Portuguese Water Dogs
Contact: Roxanne Adrian
Address: 162 Garden Pkwy.
State: NE
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website:


Portuguese Water Dogs
Kennel/Cattery Name: SaltyDawgPWDs
Contact: Karen Kirby Ash
Address: HC62 Box 205-i
State: N.
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.saltydawgpwds.com


PWD
Kennel/Cattery Name: Seafever Kennel
Contact: Janet Nienhaus
Address: 75 Brisbane Ct
State: LA
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: Seafeverlowchenandpwds.com


Rhodesian Ridgebacks
Kennel/Cattery Name: DeJa'Vue Hounds
Contact: Rose Bednarski
Address: 202 Yule Road
State: WA
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.dejavuehounds.com


Rottweiler
Kennel/Cattery Name: Von Steintor Rottweilers
Contact: Bridget Moran
Address: 9420 39th Avenue
State: WI
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.vonsteintor.com


Rottweiler
Kennel/Cattery Name: Mirabeau Treazurz
Contact: Tina & Rod Brown
Address: 17330 Broadway Ave #A
State: WA
Phone:
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.mirabeau.org


Rottweiler
Kennel/Cattery Name: SanMar Rottweilers
Contact: Marion Lent
Address: 109 Vons Lane
State: CT
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: no website


Saluki
Kennel/Cattery Name: THE SLOUGHIS OF SHI'RAYAN
Contact: Dominique de Caprona
Address:
State: IO
Phone:
Email: sloughi @ gowebway.com
Website: www.sloughi.net


Saluki
Kennel/Cattery Name: Xanadu Working Sighthounds and Terriers
Contact: Alison Tyler
Address: 3869 Vickie Court
State: GA
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website:


Schnauzers-Giant and Minis
Kennel/Cattery Name: Springkis Kennel
Contact: Cornelia Whitworth
Address:
State: CA
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: community.webshots.com/user/snauzrmom


Scottish Terriers
Kennel/Cattery Name: GlenRoslin Kennel Reg'd.
Contact: Alix & Bob Kerr
Address: 922 Regional Road 97
State: ON
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.westielovers.com/ARF4westies


Scottish Terriers
Kennel/Cattery Name: KC Scottish Terriers
Contact: Kathleen Borys
Address:
State: OH
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.scottiesrus.com


Shiloh Shepherd
Kennel/Cattery Name: Rising Star Shilohs
Contact: Sheila Masse
Address:
State: RI
Phone:
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.risingstarshilohs.com


Siberian Huskies
Kennel/Cattery Name: Dreamweaver Siberian Huskies
Contact: Lori Clark
Address:
State: ZA
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.dreamweaversiberians.com


Sloughi
Kennel/Cattery Name: THE SLOUGHIS OF SHI'RAYAN
Contact: Dominique de Caprona
Address:
State: IO
Phone:
Email: sloughi @ gowebway.com
Website: www.sloughi.net


Smooth Fox terriers
Kennel/Cattery Name: Halcar Smooth Fox Terriers
Contact: Anne Beckwith
Address:
State: CE
Phone:
Email: halcar @ netwalk.com
Website: www.netwalk.com/~frontier/halcar/


Smooth Fox terriers
Kennel/Cattery Name: InStyle Pets
Contact: Jaime Lewers
Address:
State: B.
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.instylepets.biz


Sussex Spaniels
Kennel/Cattery Name: Remedi Sussex Spaniels
Contact: Debbi Miller
Address: 5939 Trumbull Rd
State: OH
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website:


Tibetan Spaniels
Kennel/Cattery Name: Tibetan Spaniels fed raw
Contact: Carol Zieris
Address: HC 77, Box 320
State: NM
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website:


Welsh Springer Spaniels
Kennel/Cattery Name: Fireside Welsh Springers
Contact: Teri Johnston
Address:
State: NY
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.welshspringers.com


West Highland White Terriers
Kennel/Cattery Name: Willowridge Westies
Contact: Carol Stillman
Address:
State: UT
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: hometown.aol.com/westiew1/


West Highland White Terriers
Kennel/Cattery Name: GlenRoslin Kennel Reg'd.
Contact: Alix & Bob Kerr
Address: 922 Regional Road 97
State: ON
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.westielovers.com/ARF4westies


Whippet
Kennel/Cattery Name: SaltyDawgPWDs
Contact: Karen Kirby Ash
Address: HC62 Box 205-i
State: NH
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.saltydawgpwds.com


Whippet
Kennel/Cattery Name: LEPUS REG'D ~ Whippets & Borzoi
Contact: Roberta & James Jamieson
Address:
State: ON
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.lepus.reach.net


Yorkies
Kennel/Cattery Name: Coppertop Yorkies
Contact: Joanne Old
Address: 10511 Harrison Road
State: OH
Phone:
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.coppertop.biz


Yorkies
Kennel/Cattery Name: Pettibone Yorkies
Contact: Sandy Cook
Address:
State: OR
Phone:
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.pettiboneyorkies.com

[kestrel91316]

183. I'm thoroughly unimpressed. Breeders have never been known

for their respect for scientific facts.

But go ahead and feed raw foods. Risk your own life or your child's or your neighbor's. We need fewer fools on planet earth.

[Seedersandleechers]

190. I would bet you are a good vet and I refuse to insult you.

Let me guess-you make money selling science diet. There are lots of vets who DISAGREE with you. http://www.vhcdoc.com/diet.html is just one of many. If you want to be narrow minded have at it..

[arikara]

192. With all due respect

to your training and expertise, I've been giving raw food to my cat for years and she is the picture of health. And none of my family or my neighbors or even myself have ever gotten sick from her bits of raw turkey. Furthermore, the ones who are following recommendations and feeding mass produced tinned food are the ones whose pets are sick and dying.

I am honestly interested in your expert opinion but calling people names does nothing to enhance your message. Peace to you. You sound tired.

[NotGivingUp]

113. thanks! that's good to know. good for them and easier for me. i like that! eom

[Robeson]

81. There are many lines of cat food out there, which offer human grade food....

.... and natural foods. You may want to check some of these out... http://search.onlynaturalpet.com/search.aspx?SH=DADADJDHDADADDDGGFDAGFGEDADEGCGCCNDFDJDIDDCNDEDBGCGGCNDJGGGFDJCNDIDIDDGFGGGBDEDIDHDADDDFDADADADBDCDADADADEGGGPGPGEDADADADEDADADADADADADADBDFDADADADBDADADADADADADADADADADADADBDADADADADEGGGPGPGEDADADADBDB&LAP=0&PS=0~12~0~~0~0&SC=None&Action=2&AnswerID=3223f2e5-3df9-4108-8973-23be4f1d04bb&mf=3

[Gloria]

47. I checked out the list and didn't see Iams on it...although in the original

story Iams was named. But Proctor & Gamble did recall some of it.

It's very confusing....

[nicknameless]

79. Here is more info on P&G pet foods, plus Purina and Hill's

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=434014&mesg_id=439426

[Nikki Stone1]

48. List of Recalled Cat Foods:

Americas Choice, Preferred Pets
Authority
Best Choice
Companion
Compliments
Demoulas Market Basket
Eukanuba
Fine Feline Cat
Food Lion
Foodtown
Giant Companion
Hannaford
Hill Country Fare
Hy-Vee
Iams
Laura Lynn
Li'l Red
Loving Meals
Meijer's Main Choice
Nutriplan
Nutro Max Gourmet Classics
Nutro Natural Choice
Paws
Pet Pride
Presidents Choice
Price Chopper
Priority
Save-A-Lot
Schnucks
Science Diet Feline Savory Cuts Cans
Sophistacat
Special Kitty Canada
Special Kitty US
Springfield Prize
Sprout
Total Pet
Wegmans
Western Family
White Rose
Winn Dixie

[Nikki Stone1]

49. Apparently a new ingredient from a new supplier was to blame

http://www.menufoods.com/recall/Press_Recall_03162007.pdf


"...Over the past several days, the Fund has received feedback in the United States (none in Canada) raising concerns about pet food
manufactured since early December, and its impact on the renal health of the pets consuming the products. Shortly after receipt of the first
complaint, the Fund initiated a substantial battery of technical tests, conducted by both internal and external specialists, but has failed to
identify any issues with the products in question. The Fund has, however, discovered that timing of the production associated with these
complaints, coincides with the introduction of an ingredient from a new supplier. The Fund stopped using this ingredient shortly after this
discovery and production since then has been undertaken using ingredients from another source..."

Sadly, most of this damned press release was dedicated to talking about financial and stock losses. Selfish bastards.

[Nikki Stone1]

50. List of Recalled Dog Foods:

http://www.menufoods.com/recall/product_dog.html

Americas Choice, Preferred Pets
Authority
Award
Best Choice
Big Bet
Big Red
Bloom
Bruiser
Cadillac
Companion
Demoulas Market Basket
Eukanuba
Food Lion
Giant Companion
Great Choice
Hannaford
Hill Country Fare
Hy-Vee
Iams
Laura Lynn
Loving Meals
Meijers Main Choice
Mighty Dog Pouch
Mixables
Nutriplan
Nutro Max
Nutro Natural Choice
Nutro Ultra
Nutro
Ol'Roy Canada
Ol'Roy US
Paws
Pet Essentials
Pet Pride - Good n Meaty
Presidents Choice
Price Chopper
Priority
Publix
Roche Bros
Save-A-Lot
Schnucks
Shep Dog
Springsfield Prize
Sprout
Stater Bros
Total Pet
Western Family
White Rose
Winn Dixie
Your Pet

[noonwitch]

98. No Pedigree or Friskies, thank goodness (I use dry food, anyways)

A lot of the food on the list is that expensive crap the vets try to get you to buy from them. The vet gave me a sample of IAMs kitten food when I first got my cat-she wouldn't eat it, but was all over Kitten Chow. The MHS shelter similarly gave me a sample of IAMs puppy food, and my dog wouldn't eat that, either.

My dog eats Pedigree dry food and my cat eats the Friskies special diet, with the taurine added to prevent urinary problems. I hate canned animal food because of the nasty smell.

[kestrel91316]

129. Um, adding taurine to Friskies will not help prevent urinary problems.

That's what they call putting lipstick on a pig, lol.

Friskies keeps me in business with how their foods contribute to unnecessary urinary and digestive disease.

[Nikki Stone1]

162. Really? How does Friskies cause these diseases?

?

[kestrel91316]

55. They had to inform shareholders and the stock market. Their stock is really

gonna tank tomorrow. They get 11% of their gross from the market they just lost (canned pet foods).

[alittlelark]

51. Your pet having kidney damage is like your grandparent breaking a hip.

Most of the time it's all over shortly. They won't tell us how or why unless they are forcedto. I guarantee you it is a SICK story of 'saving a few bucks'.

[kestrel91316]

56. Tell that to all the owners of the dead pets. There are WAAAYYYYY

more than 10.

Acute renal failure is very costly to treat. The pet has to be hospitalized on intravenous fluids, and lots of followup lab tests have to be done, and in many cases they are not able to save these guys.

It's NOT like Grandpa breaking a hip.

[nashville_brook]

57. i think you misread the post

a grandparent breaking a hip is a death sentence.

[kestrel91316]

67. True. I guess so.

[alittlelark]

65. Actually it IS. Ask anyone who has cared for an elder.

When they fall and fracture a hip they are likely dead w/in 24 months.

I've has 2 cats w/ renal failure, It can sneak up, or it come crashing down..... either way.... It's a death knell.

[kestrel91316]

73. Acute renal failure actually carries a better prognosis, statistically.

We can often provide supportive care until the injured renal tissue recovers from the insult, and that appears to be somewhat possible in these current animals. IF they get treated quickly enough.

Chronic renal failure is a slow downhill slide that we can make slower with proper diet and some new medications, but it eventually gets them all.

I saved a kitty 2 or 3 years ago that came in with ARF. We never did have a clue what caused it, but she eventually returned to normal with no residual aftereffects.

The kidneys have a HUGE built-in functional reserve. You have to lose 2/3 of kidney functional capacity before there is any way to detect the loss. This is why healthy people can donate one of their kidneys and never miss it. Built-in reserves.

[alittlelark]

76. I wish Tara and Oliver had such good results.....

I miss them both... it was FAST w/ little to no warning.

[Lugnut]

52. K&R n/t

[Miss Chybil]

53. Link to Menu Foods and Recall List

http://www.menufoods.com/recall/

It's not an answer to the OPs question, but I thought it might save somebody a few seconds of search time...

[troubleinwinter]

61. Thanks particularly to Kestrel for the info.

[monarch]

92. Add me to the list of people grateful to Kestral

(funny how the name reminds me of Khephra--he would be a busy boy right now covering all of the news. I think of him Every time someone updates us on something breaking in the M$M.)

Anyway, I am very grateful to DU for the various experts (in a wide variety of fields) who take their own time to share with us their knowledge (often obtained, as with Kestral, through years of higher education and professional experience.)

[kestrel91316]

68. Important hypothetical question:

If it turns out to be contaminated wheat gluten, what about the HUMAN food supply chain??????

Wheat gluten = seitan = popular food in the vegan scene

Is the FDA looking into this?
What are the national security implications?
If our food is contaminated with a deadly toxin, HOW DID IT GET THAT WAY?
What sort of investigation from the FDA, DHS, FBI, etc can we expect?

Oh, wait. Nevermind.

[NAO]

77. Will we ever know how many cats died? Class Action Lawsuit?

I'm sure the company has spinning PR/damage control people working on keeping the "10 cats" story in people's minds, but certainly it's a whole lot more than 10.

And I wonder if we'll ever know how much it cost pet owners, for all the veterinary care, some of which saved their beloved pets, some of which was just a severe drain on their already taxed finances. And how much did it cost vets who treated pets and then got stiffed by pet owners?

It seems horrific that a company could cause this much physical suffering (to the cats), emotional suffering (to their families) and financial ruin (to both pet owners and animal care professionals) to so many people -- and then just walk away with a "voluntary recall press release".

Is a class action lawsuit possible? I know pets are legally considered to be mere "property" - but if a company put out motor oil that ruined thousands of cars and cost consumers thousands of dollars in mechanic bills, I think there would be a class action lawsuit.

K&R'd

[nicknameless]

80. Byproducts are allowed to contain 4D meats: DEAD, DYING, DISEASED and DISABLED

Hill's, Purina, Iams, most grocery store pet foods, etc. often contain animal by-products.
Do you really want your pet to be eating these ingredients?

There are alternatives.

[kestrel91316]

108. Cats out in the wild eat the dead, dying, diseased and disabled.

Remember, cheetahs never catch the HEALTHY springboks, only the slow-movers.

[nicknameless]

158. They do NOT.

Link?

Large wild cats, like cheetahs, may target the slowest of the herd, but they do NOT eat carrion.

http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2000/726/3

The mildness of Toxoplasma's effects on its intermediate host make good evolutionary sense: It's not in the parasite's interest to be lethal, as cats won't eat dead animals.

[kestrel91316]

184. Mountain lions do eat the dead, buried, saved remains of their

prey. And I know for a fact that wild cats in Africa continue eating on their prey's remains after they have died. They come back for leftovers.

That's different from eating carrion, which is someone else's kill.

Toxo's usually mild symptoms in the cat are irrelevant. Some of us in this worls care about humans. And it's the HUMANS (in this case human fetuses) that suffer the most from Toxo).

The ability to Google and cut and past does not equal comprehension.

[nicknameless]

189. Of course, they eat what THEY kill.

But they don't eat dead animals they find. That is OBVIOUSLY a different matter.

I bold faced the relevant statement in an off-topic issue: "Cats won't eat dead animals"

This sub-thread addresses the issue of 4D meats. That is what I am posting about.
It is dangerous garbage, and no loved pet should be consuming it.

[nicknameless]

153. "The disgusting truth about most pet foods today"

Meat byproducts

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FKA/is_3_61/ai_54017841

According to Ann Martin, author of the explosive book, Food Pets Die For: The Shocking Facts About Pet Food (NewSage Press, 1-503-695-2211), "what we are feeding are the dregs of the human food chain, garbage unfit for human or animal consumption."

How bad is bad? Well, if you don't have a cast-iron stomach, please don't read on!

The "animal protein" in many pet foods is made up of: diseased meat, road kill, contaminated "material" from slaughterhouses, fecal matter, pets which have been euthanized with sodium pentobarbital, chicken and turkey feathers, and the waste from milling room floors.

Sources of these "animal proteins" are diseased, drugged, and euthanized animals (including other cats and dogs). These carcasses go to receiving plants, where the hide (sold to a tannery), skin, fats, and meat are removed. The "meat" from these animals can be sold for pet food (sometimes along with tags and flea collars in place), after being marked as "unfit for human consumption."

If this "meat" arrives at the receiving plant already decomposing, it's sent to a rendering plant, along with road kill. Also "fine" for pet food is condemned material from slaughterhouses -- animals that died on their way to slaughter, diseased animals or parts, diseased blood, hair, hooves and paws, horns, stomach contents, heads, mammary glands, unborn calf carcasses, processed animal waste from the floor of the slaughterhouses along with litter material from the floor, and, again, euthanized companion pets.
...

[Morgana LaFey]

204. A friend who used to work in the industry told me that Purina was

the largest buyer of chicken feathers in the world. He told me this a few years ago, and I don't know if it's still true but why wouldn't they still be a large buyer of that stuff if it were true at some point?

[nicknameless]

211. Ugh! I don't have first hand knowledge about Purina buying feathers,

BUT "by-products" can include absolute garbage -- including feathers.

Did you see Lorien's post?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=443453&mesg_id=450071

It's sickening and heart-breaking.

[Morgana LaFey]

214. Yeah, I have wanted to break away from feeding my pets

canned food, but my experiment was fairly costly. I was cooking 7# of chicken plus at least that much fresh vegetables plus several cups of whole barley all togehter in water as a stew for them and then was supposed to give them 5 cups each twice a day -- which would've required cooking that about every 3 days. Couldn't afford either the ingredients or the time for my three 50+ lb. dogs. And the damn cat wouldn't eat it (minus the barley) anyway.

[nicknameless]

217. The canned food I fed my cat didn't appear on the list.

Wellness and Natural Balance.

Feeding these guys can get expensive.
Have you ever checked out this other thread by Lorien in the Pets forum? It has lots of great, helpful information.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=243x4388

Edited for clarity

[Morgana LaFey]

219. Thanks. I'll check it out.

:hi:

[nicknameless]

218. Oh no. I just read that Menu Foods made some Wellness products.

:(

[nicknameless]

155. Mad cow disease resulted from cattle being fed remains of diseased cattle.

[kestrel91316]

185. We're not dealing with BSE or any other prion disease.

We're not dealing with neurological disease.

We are most likely dealing with a toxic insult to the kidneys.

[nicknameless]

187. My post concerned by-products, not the Menu Foods recall.

[orleans]

83. k&r n/t

[WernhamHogg]

84. Kick

My mom had to have their 6 year old cat put to sleep last week because of kidney failure. After, when she learned about the recall, she looked up the brand of cat food they were feeding the cat and she says the brand she was using was NOT on the list. It just seems like a concidence at this point.

[kestrel91316]

109. I see lots of cats with chronic renal failure, the SLOW kind.

It's usually age-related, a disease of old cats. We also see it in younger-to-middle aged cats with the inherited polycyctic kidney disease genetic problem. That's usually in cats with Persian/Himalayan bloodlines.

[chknltl]

85. kicked

[Gelliebeans]

88. I hear ya

I have been combing the "internets" all weekend. If this is another cost cutting blunder, these people should hang. :grr:

Big thanks to antifaschits for starting this thread and the awesome information provided by kestral. :yourock:

[monarch]

89. The real story here is how paying premium prices

gets you the same garbage that you find in the cheapest stuff.

I wish that the American consumer would finally start to realize that the same producers supply exactly the same products (from food to detergent) to all of various sellers, changing ONLY the packaging.

So, think about it, why should you ever buy a brand name of anything?

[kestrel91316]

111. None of the Hill's or Max Cat or Iams OTHER THAN the chunks in gravy

is a problem here.

No need to throw the baby out with the bath water.

That said, I am disappointed that Hill's, in addition to sneaking fish into some of their food lately, has gone against its own longstanding policy of making its own food, rather than subbing it out. The Hill's chunks-in-gravy food is, for all intents and purposes, GENERIC rather than premium.

[Thothmes]

96. Tainted Pet Food

I dint know about canola oils or glutens etc. Renal failure in dogs and cats can be the result of ingesting antifreeze. Even small amounts of poly ethylene glycol is fatal.

[kestrel91316]

112. WRONG WRONG WRONG. DEAD WRONG.

Antifreeze is ETHYLENE GLYCOL.

PROPYLENE GLYCOL is safe. It is used in some pet foods, very safely, and it is, IIRC, used as a vehicle for compounding some medications we use routinely.

POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL is something else. Not found in pet foods.

You don't know anything about chemistry. Please don't spew nonsense.

[ellie]

100. I'm kicking this

because I am so angry and disgusted by this. I hope all of these companies go out of business. What kind of image is that for a pet food maker?

[kestrel91316]

114. Sorry. The problem is not all pet food companies.

The problem is somewhere in the supply chain. Probably poor handling/storage conditions in the source wheat grain for the wheat gluten.

The pet food manufacturers are victims of this, too, and suffering huge losses due to this.

Iams has really stepped up to the plate, to their great credit, and is working very closely with vets to get an accurate diagnosis of the problem, and to HELP THE ANIMALS. Owners have been told by Iams that ALL THEIR VET BILLS in this matter will be covered. Period.

[BluePatriot]

101. You're right, it is odd

I don't have any pets but I am very curious what kind of additive can cause kidney failure. I am actually starting to wonder if they got some GM corn cheaply from a supplier or something and the GM foods lobby is trying to keep it hushed up.

:tinfoilhat:

[kestrel91316]

117. Here's the current theories on the underlying problem:

1) Possible Ochratoxin A contamination of the wheat gluten - ochratoxin is a fungal toxin produced by Penicillium verrusosum, IIRC. Causes renal failure, birth defects, and cancer. Question: Did contaminated wheat, pulled off the human market, get dumped at a discount onto the pet food market???? Fungi in grain is always a problem. Heat and humidity make it more likely. THANK YOU, global warming!

2) Possible contamination of the pet food with ethylene glycol (antifreeze). While many of the cases are virtually identical to antifreeze cases, it is hard for me to envision somebody buying ethylene glycol by mistake, and putting it into the pet food instead of propylene glycol. And I am not even certain that the foods all list propylene glycol as an ingredient, though I hear some do.

3) Hypervitaminosis D - too much vitamin D can also cause renal failure, but as we saw in the case a few years ago, it happens as a result of slow, long-term exposure to high levels, which build up over time. The ARF cases seen in the current problem are ACUTE. Hyperacute. VERY rapid onset.

My money is on Ochratoxin A as the cause. And given how everything with wheat gluten has been the target of the recall, it seems like the pet food mfrs think that, too. But the proof is not in yet.

Vets and labs and researchers have been hot on the trail of the problem for a week now. You can thank very clever private practice vets who ask owners details about food intake when their pets come in sick for putting two and two together and then contacting mfrs about the food.

[kestrel91316]

119. Currently, based on a rough estimate of the vets reporting in on

the forum I am checking in on, I think we are seeing (conservatively) hundreds of affected animals, with dozens of deaths. This is a very widespread problem, with reports coming in from all over.

I have only seen one case of ACUTE renal failure in a cat in the last 16 years, that I can remember. We see lots of CHRONIC renal failure, but the acute form is RARE, IMHO.

Vets are seeing entire households of animals affected simultaneously.

The affected dogs seem to be largely smaller breeds, because owners tend not to fee the tiny packets of chunks-in-gravy to big dogs.

LOTS of cats are affected.

Some animals are being saved. It's too soon to tell what the percentage mortality is. It's also too soon to tell if any of the damage is permanent.

[NAO]

120. Thanks so much for the rough estimate

I knew it was more than 10, but had no idea if it were 100's or 1,000's or worse. The complete lack of any detail from the media on something so heart-wrenching is very disturbing. The financial burden of this to both affected owners and stiffed vets must be huge, and, for some, must add a devastating insult to the already unbearable injury.

****

In my above post (#77) I wrote:

I'm sure the company has spinning PR/damage control people working on keeping the "10 cats" story in people's minds, but certainly it's a whole lot more than 10.

And I wonder if we'll ever know how much it cost pet owners, for all the veterinary care, some of which saved their beloved pets, some of which was just a severe drain on their already taxed finances. And how much did it cost vets who treated pets and then got stiffed by pet owners?

It seems horrific that a company could cause this much physical suffering (to the cats), emotional suffering (to their families) and financial ruin (to both pet owners and animal care professionals) to so many people -- and then just walk away with a "voluntary recall press release".

Is a class action lawsuit possible? I know pets are legally considered to be mere "property" - but if a company put out motor oil that ruined thousands of cars and cost consumers thousands of dollars in mechanic bills, I think there would be a class action lawsuit.

[kestrel91316]

133. Iams is offering to pay medical expenses of the animals who got

sick eating their food.

They ARE doing the right thing, and they are spending $$$$$ to figure out the root cause.

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

125. WHen did this start ?

I know of sonmeone who lost a pup a couple of months ago to what they said was antifreeze poisoning. Now I wonder what she was feeding him......

[kestrel91316]

134. The recall is for foods manufactured between early Dec 2006 and

early Mar 2007.

Cases have been popping up for a couple months, but until it hit the news, vets in various areas didn't know of a widespread problem. Only recently has food been surmised as the cause.

[Corgigal]

126. that is exactly right

I have a weiner dog, 2 corgi dogs and a Chihuahua. I'm feeding them purina one with a pouch of pedigree added to the mix with some warm water. I have always given them this type of variety.
I have been to Pedigree's website twice this weekend and they claim everything is okay. Man, I'm just lucky that lately I've been purchasing the pouch pedigree and not the Mighty dog.

Some of have to use coupons in this world and running out to purchase expensive dog food is not something all of us can afford. This is so sad and scary for us pet owners. Poisoning your family pet by accident. Terrible.

[NAO]

123. I fed my baby 8 wk old Ragdoll kitten some of these foods

He is now 16 weeks old and doing great. Knowing that we fed him SEVERAL of the foods on the recall list, we fell like we dodged a bullet.

Thankfully, he would not TOUCH those foil-pouch "chunks with gravy" type foods at all. In fact, he did not like most of the canned food we tried. The only kind he would eat is the Fancy Feast green can flaked (not pureed) tuna or salmon. He eats mostly kibble, Purina One Kitten.

He did not like the Iams kitten kibble, and as I am typing this I have an unopened can of the Iams Turkey Slices with Gravy sitting in front of me, left where I took it to check the date numbers on the can for this recalled product. I always thought Iams was a top-quality product. My dogs have eaten it for years...

[kestrel91316]

132. A sampling of reports from vets on a forum:

".....I am currently treating 6 cats, 1 died. All from same house, completely indoor animals. They ate Iams...."


"...What do advise to a client who was feeding one of the non-PG brands of food? I had a 6yo DSH that I euthanized last week due to renal failure. She had been eating "Special Kitty" canned for 5 years and started acting lethargic, increasing PU/PD for a month. Necropsy showed no crystals, or other etiology. Just looked like CRF kidneys in an otherwise decently healthy cat.
Owner still has cans with the code numbers on them and all her receipts.
Who does she/I call to report/complain?..."


"...I work at an emergency clinic and we are inundated with calls from paniced owners. Since our techs work at a large number of other practices in the area, they are all saying that they have seen a large number of renal cases this past week. I also have a staff member with an 11 month old cat, who eats one of the brands recalled and now has a CR of 13, BUN of >140, and Ca+ Ox crystals in his urine. Tested neg for EG. This is a little unnerving...."


"...I posted a few weeks ago about 2 indoor only cats in acute renal failure...owner fed Iam's pouches intermittently...both cats responded to intensive IV fluid therapy...BUN, Creat and Phos were normal at recheck yesterday. We were killing ourselves trying to figure out how this happened, as there was no apparent toxin exposure. Another associate in the hospital has had one cat die (Iams exclusively) and one cat with an acute Creat spike (Iams intermittently). I haven't seen any dogs with problems. I feed my own animals Iams canned foods so I'm freaking out a little right now...."

[libnnc]

136. Holy shit...

Thanks so much for these updates. This is horrible.

I just think of how close I've come over the past few weeks to feeding my 7 month old tortie pouch food. She did get Fancy Feast cans once a day. We stopped that 2 weeks ago--(went on vacation and she was boarded). We left her with her own Science Diet Kitten dry food at the vet. I haven't seen Fancy Feast on any of the lists.

Thanks again for the updates. :scared:

[kestrel91316]

139. It's horrible reading through dozens and dozens, if not hundreds,

of post just like those.

Some vets are losing their own animals.

[kestrel91316]

138. Link to FDA website about the recall:

http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/petfood.html


FDA info about regulation of pet foods:

http://www.fda.gov/cvm/petfoodflier.html

[undergroundpanther]

142. Thanks

Glad my cat's food ain't on the list.
I am just about ready to say fuckitall and buy a whole chicken for like 6 bucks,cook it, de-bone it take out some of the fat,and other crappy stuff and cuisinart it all, with a bit of cooked rice, a fat dollop of plain yogurt, a squirt of nutrical, and cooked egg whites for my cats, put it in storage jars fridge it and freeze the rest of it. warm it up and feed it to them.. If this shit keeps up that will be my next step.Cats and I will be eating the same thing almost, chicken and rice is about my budget..
Anyways I feed mine dry. Purina one.I know fish is bad but they get tuna water once a blue moon,I divide 1 can of tuna water three ways, it ain't much, in those three little dishes . I let them have the water, they don't eat the tuna if a few bits get strained out, they really love the water tho so it's a special treat.I don't get albacore tuna so there is slightly less mercury contamination, for us,it's cheaper ,besides albacore does not taste as good as the chunk light tuna in water does to me or the cats..

[kestrel91316]

145. Don't make homemade food for the cats. You are unlikely to get it

right, and likely to cause problems.

Nothing wrong with good old reliable dry food, particularly the premium brands: Science Diet, Max Cat........Costco Kirkland ain't bad, neither is (forgive me) P-p-p-p-urina (gack!) One Sensitive Systems, last I checked. Junky dry food is not so good. Avoid the ones with fish in them.

Oh, and did I mention: NO FISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And yes, tuna is fish.

[arikara]

163. Why do you say that raw is bad for cats?

We've been giving small portions of raw turkey to one of our cats for years. She craves it, but is very picky and will only eat the freshest cuts. If it isn't fresh enough for her, she "buries" it and stalks off. Our vet was the one who suggested it.

I had a 19 year old who in his younger day was a real mouser. He used to eat every bit of the mouse with the exception of the gall bladder. He'd leave a little row of them in front of the door some days.

[kestrel91316]

164. Feeding raw meats to animals is widely recognized

in the veterinary and public health communities as a serious public health hazard, due to the large number of potentially deadly and dangerous microbes found in meats.

Salmonella
E coli O157H7
Campylobacter
Toxoplasma
Tapeworms
and heaven knows what else, if these aren't enough to scare the living daylights out of you.

You risk making your pet sick and then the pet infecting you, your family, friends, houseguests........nightmare scenario.

Why risk it?

[kestrel91316]

165. Cats eat mice. They ARE cats, after all. But we don't recommend the

DELIBERATE feeding of raw meats to them.

BTW, cats who catch and eat mice area GREAT way for pregnant women to catch Toxoplasmosis and pass it on to their fetuses.

[SoCalDem]

197. And how could one be sure that little mousie didn't just eat some D-Con?

I am so glad our babies (all 8 kitties) have only ever eaten the kirkland Dry. none have ever had any moist/wet food pass their pearly whites:)

I felt guilty for not feeding them the Primo food, but feeding as many as we do (and we still feed the feral mom of 5 of ours...we captured & spayed her...had to release to the yard though... we kept her separated from ours....inside the house for a month after her surgery, and she literally climbed the walls every time anyone entered the room, so we reluctantly put her back outside.... she has her own house, and fresh food & water..and that's the best we can do for her :cry:..)

[hedgehog]

168. It occurs to me that I pay the same for boneless chicken breasts

as I do for canned cat food! Does anyone have a balanced recipe for feeding an elderly cat?

[rumpel]

141. thank you all here and especially for the OP and kestrel

this is very distressing -

how vulnerable we all are; human and pets alike...

I used to feed our dogs Innova, as per vet recommendation - can't afford it now and have been feeding them Pedigree - so far it seems they are not affected this time - but my 3 year old big guy 160lb has not been eating well at all - especially after a temporary switch to Beneful - which he liked - hope it is just a protest....

[Coyote_Bandit]

143. I have a renal dog and I really wish

that I had recipes to cook for my both dogs. They are both small dogs. One is seven years old the other is nearly five. One is healthy. One dog is a renal dog. He was diagnosed at 5 months of age. He will be five years old in June. He eats dry prescription food that is calorie dense and has restricted protein, phosphorous, fat, and sodium. He is doing very well. I have labs done every six months. For the past three years his renal functions have all tested in the upper range of normal. The ratios are skewed and it is clear that he has permanent renal damage. But at this point it is well managed. I have learned how to detect signs and symptoms of any distress early. He spent about a week or so in doggie hospital when he was first diagnosed. It took him a year or more to recover and stabalize while he matured. He still acts like a puppy. I have always thought that was because he was so sick during his puppyhood that he didn't get his fill of play at the time.

I know they would both prefer home cooked food. And I would feel better about feeding it to them. Unfortunately I have no idea how to cook for my little special needs guy. My vet has not encouraged the effort because he is stable and responding well to his current diet and treatment plan. He eats prescription food. I make sure he drinks plenty of filtered water. He gets no treats other than rawhide or fresh fruits and veggies. He takes a pet tab vitamin every day to boost his immune function. His activity is somewhat limited - no long walks and very limited activities during periods of heat and cold.

Having seen the effects of this insideous disease I can only hope that there is a real investigation of the cause of this recall and that there are real consequences.

I urge anybody who thinks their furkid might have been exposed to this tainted food to have their renal function tested. If there is renal damage it is very important that immediate treatment be undertaken. With early treatment it can be possible for the animal to continue to live a nearly normal life. My little guy is proof of that. The labwork at my vet for a renal profile costs about $40.

[kestrel91316]

147. Homemade food for dogs is quite feasible. For cats it's much more

problematic. Those fussy critters!!

Ask your vet about recipes for homemade dog food. I personally think it's unnecessary, but probably not harmful.

[Coyote_Bandit]

171. Thanks

My vet really doesn't want to change anything right now since my renal boy is doing so well.

Meanwhile there are feeding problems. My renal boy sometimes has a poor appetite and it is clear that he is tired of eating the same food morning and evening everyday for over four years. My vet has agreed to allow me to incorporate a second brand of prescription food for some variety. The dog is definitely unimpressed.

My interest in feeding home cooked dog food has at least as much to do with creating enticements to eat and offering variety as it does with food safety.

I have developed a number of tricks to entice him to eat:
- I add a bit of garlic powder to his food;
- I crumble a vanilla wafer or two into very fine crumbs and mix it in his food;
- I heat up a fast food or other food wrapper and sit his food bowl on top of it so he smells the food while he eats;
- I nest his food bowl inside and on top of an identical bowl containing some other good smelling food (works especially well if I use a bit of something has been cooking for awhile in the house);
- I add a little bit of rice to his food;
- I add some chopped apple to his food;
- I add some sliced or shredded carrots to his food;
- I mix canned and dry prescription food;
- I add warm water to his dry food.

He does get the occasional Hill's prescription food treat. But he is a small dog and those seem to be difficult for him to chew even when they are broken into small pieces. His treats are usually baby carrots or sliced apple. This does work rather well since I give them to the bird as well. Did I mention that the bird and the dog do not get along?

I'm not complaining. The best prognosis my renal boy got from the five vets who examined him when he was so sick as a puppy was "wait and see." One wanted to euthanize him. Another gave him a year. He is a delightful little companion with a wonderful disposition. I am fortunate he is doing so well. The cause of his renal problems remain undetermined. Knowing this dog and knowing what I know now about renal disease I am certain that he had renal problems when he came to me.

[kestrel91316]

179. The garlic powder is a definite no-no.

Garlic and onions are known to be toxic to dogs and cats. The sulfur-containing compounds in them cause oxidative damage to red blood cells which shortens their lifespan. In a kidney failure patient who is at risk of anemia, I wouldn't do anything known to contribute to anemia.

[Coyote_Bandit]

191. I did not know that

Thanks for the info.

I knew onions were a no-no. Same for chocolate. Raisins and grapes as well.

I've even boarded this dog with his prescription food, documentation of his renal condition and a bottle of garlic powder - and nobody bothered to mention that the garlic was not a good thing. Granted that was not with his regular vet.

I'm not sure his regular vet understands how consistently difficult it is to get this dog to eat. He is a Japanese Chin. Weighs about 17 pounds. On average, he probably eats a cup of dry K/D daily. Sometimes a bit more. It takes a minimum of a half hour to forty five minutes morning and evening to get him to eat that food. He will take a single piece of kibble, walk away, put the food on the floor, lay down with the kibble between his outstretched paws, stare at the food, then maybe bat it back and forth before eventually eating it. He probably does that with at least half of his food. He seems to eat better if I adhere to a strict routine and feeding schedule that doesn't vary by more than a few minutes. His coat, his appetite and his energy levels improved a lot when he started taking the pet tabs. Otherwise he takes no meds. His creatinine levels have been steady at about 1.6.

I've used the garlic powder but but not as much or as frequently as the other enticements. You'll understand why if you can imagine the smell of "renal breath" combined with the smell of garlic breath.

[kestrel91316]

203. It's not common knowledge about the garlic, but i suspected it for YEARS,

and it has now been documented (don't recall where, sorry, maybe JAVMA?). A lot of vets don't know. And several pet food manufacturers don't either (no big surprise there, eh?)

You just want to watch out for the development of any Heinz bodies on the blood tests. Heinz bodies are little doohickeys we see on the surface of RBCs that indicate oxidative damage to hemoglobin. They will show up before there is any anemia, but if the dog is already anemic, garlic is really a bad idea.

[Lorien]

144. Because they probably don't want to talk about what really goes into

their food in the first place.

Here is just one of the articles out there on what's really included in commercial pet foods:

Poisons in Pet Food from Alternative Medicine Magazine, May 1998
A homeopath of our acquaintance, who specializes in animal health, recently reported that nearly all of her new cases are dogs and cats with cancer. This is a most unusual and alarming trend, she told us.
One of the reasons American dogs and cats are getting very sick can be found in the pet foods they eat every day. The realities of animal health aren't much different than human health: if you consume a diet of toxins, eventually you will get terribly sick.
Don't expect the food label to be any true guide to the product's contents. The list of ingredients on that bag of dry pet food or can of "meat" can mask the toxic horrors behind innocuous-sounding phrases such as "meat meal," "bone meal," and "meat by-products." It's the substances you don't know about in that can of pet food that may sicken or even kill your pet.
The list of materials that go into the rendering process is extensive and horrific. When cattle, sheep and poultry are slaughtered for human consumption, the parts deemed unsuitable for eating, heads (including growth hormone implants in cattle), skin, fat containing pesticide residues, toenails, hair or feathers, joints, hooves, stomach and bowels are rendered.
Other animal parts sent to rendering plants include cancerous tissues, worm-infested organs, contaminated blood and blood clots. Compounding these toxins, slaughterhouses add carbolic acid and fuel oil to these remnants as a way of marking these foods as unfit for human consumption.
Meat and poultry by-products, another major category of pet food ingredients, are the unrendered parts of the animal left over after slaughter, everything deemed unfit for human consumption. In cattle and sheep, this includes the brain, liver, kidneys, spleen, lungs, blood, bones, fatty tissue, stomachs and intestines. The items on this list that would normally be consumed by humans, such as the liver, would have to be diseased or contaminated before they could be designated for pet food. Poultry by-products include heads, feet, intestines, undeveloped eggs, chicken feathers and egg shells.
The primary ingredient in many dry commercial pet foods is not protein but cereal. Corn and wheat are the most common grains used but, as with the meat sources, the nutritious parts of the grain are generally present only in trace amounts. The corn gluten meal or wheat middlings added to pet foods are the leftovers after the grain has been processed for human use, containing little nutritional value.
Or they may be grain that is too moldy for humans to eat, so it's incorporated into pet food.
Mycotoxins, potentially deadly fungal toxins that multiply in moldy grains, have been found in pet foods in recent years. In 1995, Nature's Recipe recalled tons of their dog food after dogs became ill from eating it. The food was found to contain vomitoxin, a mycotoxin.
Harmful chemicals and preservatives are added to both wet and dry food. For example, sodium nitrite, a coloring agent and preservative and potential carcinogen, is a common additive. Other preservatives include ethoxyquin (an insecticide that has been linked to liver cancer) and BHA and BHT, chemicals also suspected of causing cancer. The average dog can consume as much as 26 pounds of preservatives every year from eating commercial dog foods.
Recent studies have shown processed foods to be a factor in increasing numbers of pets suffering from cancer, arthritis, obesity, dental disease and heart disease. Dull or unhealthy coats are a common problem with cats and dogs and poor diet is usually the cause, according to many veterinarians and breeders. The AAFCO nutrient profiles may play a role here, in the balanced" nutritional levels they recommend may be inadequate for an individual animal.
It is estimated that up to two million companion animals suffer from food allergies.
Dr. Plechner believes that the commercial pet foods are a primary cause and can contribute to a host of health problems.
"Among pets, there is a widespread intolerance of commercial foods," he states. "This rejection can show up either as violent sickness or chronic health problems. It often triggers a hypersensitivity and overreaction to flea and insect bites, pollens, soaps, sprays and environmental contaminants."
Feline Urological Syndrome, a chronic condition similar to cystitis in humans (characterized by frequent urination with blood in the urine), is an increasingly common and potentially fatal illness in cats. It has been linked to elevated levels of ash and phosphorus, two substances commonly found in commercial pet foods. High iodine levels are seen as a contributing factor for thyroid tumors in cats. "New diseases are being discovered that are linked to '100% complete' diets," states Dr Wysong. These include Polymyopathy (a muscle disorder) from low potassium levels, dilated Cardiomyopathy (heart muscle disorder) from low taurine levels, arthritic and skin diseases from acid/base and zinc malnutrition and chronic eczema from essential fatty acid malnutrition," he reports.
Given the high possibility that your favorite pet foods may be slowly poisoning your cat or dog, it's crucial that you find brands you can trust to be animal friendly.

http://www.frrhealthypet.com/id2.html

POLLUTED PET FOOD

Commercial pet food and stock feed contain a cocktail of dead domestic animals and deadly environmental toxins.

I'm not going to post these short articles, because they are a bit TOO disturbing (animal shelters sending pet remains to rendering plants for use in pet foods and other vile practices). Here's a link if you feel you need to know more:
http://www.frrhealthypet.com/id35.html


I only feed my pets foods made with human grade ingredients. If it's dangerous for you to eat, then why feed it to your pet?

[kestrel91316]

148. My guess is that we have a rerun of this sort of thing, but with ochratoxin A.

".....Mycotoxins, potentially deadly fungal toxins that multiply in moldy grains, have been found in pet foods in recent years. In 1995, Nature's Recipe recalled tons of their dog food after dogs became ill from eating it. The food was found to contain vomitoxin, a mycotoxin....."

I am concerned that increasing humidity and heat where grains are stored, DUE TO GLOBAL WARMING-induced climate change, will lead to more and more risk of this.

[kestrel91316]

146. More links:

American Veterinary medical Association:
http://avma.org/aa/menufoodsrecall/default.asp

California Veterinary Medical Association:
http://www.cvma.net/doc.asp?ID=3131

VetPartner, no recall info, but a good site for pet owners:
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/

[kestrel91316]

150. New info:

Comments from a university veterinary toxicologist on the case:

"...Lesions have not been consistent with ethylene glycol or cholecalciferol. We have tested for glycols, including ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, propylene glycol, etc. We've tested for heavy metals, ochratoxin, various other organics, and haven't come up with anything thus far. Other tests are pending...."

"...We don't know for sure which ingredient was the source of the toxin--it's sort of difficult to implicate an ingredient when we don't even know the etiology of the disease yet. Thus far we have done separate testing on food ingredients, packets and cans of food, and tissues from animals that have died. This is a source of great frustration to our laboratory and to my personally, believe me...."

".....I would like to add that my impression thus far is that many animals have ingested the food have remained clinically normal. Some have had elevated BUN ± elevated creat, but others have had no detectable problems at all. Most of the affected animals seem to have ingested large quantities or ingested the food for several days. Also, smaller critters (cats and small dogs) appear to be more likely to be affected--probably eat more per unit body weight than larger dogs...."

[kestrel91316]

154. Cornell University has a GREAT veterinary toxicology lab, BTW:

http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/Jan00/API_2000.hrs.html

[kestrel91316]

151. Another vet's experience:

"....I had one client present with 5 cats in acute renal failure, all with extrememly high creatinens and BUNs, one of which we euthanized. The others are all improving, two still on IV fluids. Had another ARF last week as well, creatine over 20, euthanized. The 5 cats all started at the same time, indoor cats, no known exposures to other toxins. I am convinced their problems were caused by this food, but so far Menu has not responded to her calls or emails. Anybody know who we need to talk to?...."

[tammywammy]

169. I'm glad that my kitties food isn't on the list

They eat Nutro Natural Choice Indoor dry food. And they each get a 1/4 can of the indoor wet food, but never the pouches.

I only give a little bit of wet food when I get home, and I add water too it, so it's extra wet, but they love it. It's a little treat. I don't do the pouches, because the cans are cheaper.

[bullwinkle428]

188. I came home tonight and Willow had thrown up twice - I definitely freaked

out, because I've been continuing to give her a little canned prescription Hill's Science Diet after a serious bout with diarrhea about 6 weeks ago. I don't know if she's truly "addicted" to it, but she does beg for it as an appetizer. I give her about a teaspoon of that, and then just refill her bowl with a mix of two dry foods (Natural Balance and Castor & Pollux) that appear to be very high quality and are not on any of the recall lists. I'm not crazy about giving the Hill's to her as the main ingredient is pork by-products, so I can't imagine what part of the pig she's being fed. I know that Hill's decided voluntarily recall some products once the news was announced by the original manufacturer. As far as her puking, it's probably nothing more than a hairball issue; she's done this once or twice before since adopting her back in January.

[Divine Discontent]

194. what an adorable furball!!!! :) n/t

[bullwinkle428]

206. Her personality is as sweet as her looks!

[undergroundpanther]

196. poor baby..

puking is misery..But oooh Willow is a heart stealer!! Those beautiful eyes! Perfect eyeliner too. Pretty, pretty cat you got there.Put willow next to my sparkle and It would be a feline beauty fest.Willow looks so soft just want to run my fingers through that silken silvered fur.

[bullwinkle428]

207. I just had to adopt her once I saw her in person...

her fur is just like a giant ball of cotton. I had her clipped to about half-length shortly after she had recovered from her stomach problems, as her back end was kind of a disgusting mess that couldn't be cleaned, but she was just as cute afterwards. Her coat actually has some curl to it, so when she came home from the grooming, it was like a little baby lamb running around the house! She sure uses those eyes to get me to spoil her constantly...

[kestrel91316]

200. No Hill's Prescription Diets are on the list. Don't be afraid of I/D

with the pork. It's highly digestible and works really well for upset tummies.

The only medical and factually-based argument against pork in cat food is that is has a lower biological value than poultry, so it's not optimum for renal cases. But it's not prescribed for renal cases (duh). It's got pork liver in it, too, which I happen to love in the form of liverwurst, lol. So maybe there's some personal bias as I take a nose hit from it daily when I feed it to my Boochi for his perineal hernia/constipation management..

[bullwinkle428]

208. Thanks - it's actually the w/d formula that they had given me, but after

reading through the thread, I looked at the label and checked to see if wheat gluten appeared in the ingredient list. I was relieved not to see it. The vet mentioned to me that this specific formula had a higher fiber content which would help control her bowel movements. It was a lifesaver when she was recovering from the diarrhea; she could eat as much of that as she wanted without getting sick, and she still maintains a bit of craving so she gets her little appetizer twice a day. It's so processed, like a pate, so I guess that allows her system to handle it easily.

[kestrel91316]

215. Science Diet has really strict quality controls on their ingredients,

and does continual feeding tests of their foods for quality control also, IIRC.

[aroach]

193. Kick

It says I don't have enough posts to recommend.

This is just terrible. There are so many more than we will ever know about. How many people couldn't afford to go to a vet?

[NAO]

195. LBN Thread: Test animals died after being given tainted food

Check out this thread for details, and more personal stories of loss due to this tragedy.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2772975&mesg_id=2772975

[WernhamHogg]

201. My mom WAS feeding her cat this crap

My mom's cat had to be put to sleep last week because of kidney failure. Previously she believed that she had not fed the cat any of the tainted food. Last night she discovered that the food they had been feeding the cat WAS on the list. She's livid and I'm now worried about our pets (my husband and I don't have any cats, but we have 2 dogs). Our dogs mainly eat dry food and occasionally we give them canned food. Looks like no more canned food for them.

[thethinker]

202. My cat is in the hospital

I took her to vet Saturday and they ran tests. They called today and said the tests looked worse than they expected and to bring her in. She will be there 2-3 days.

I will never feed an animal any kind of commercial pet food again. I will cook for her from now on. She is such a picky eater.

I think it is odd that Menu Foods will not say which firm the wheat gluten came from. If they really wanted to help vets and pet owners figure this out, they would say which firm they got it from. That looks like a cover up to me.

It is hurting cats and small dogs because they do not have the body weight. What ever it is, it might not hurt people or larger animals, or at least not make them as sick.

[LisaL]

205. I don't think they have any proof that the wheat gluten is what

causing the problem.
They might not be able to reveal the firm for legal issues.

[NAO]

209. Lawsuit in progress...seeks CLASS ACTION status

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/03/20/national/main2590696.shtml

snip...

(AP) A Chicago woman sued Menu Foods on Tuesday, alleging the pet food manufacturer delayed announcing a recall of 60 million containers of dog and cat food despite knowing its products were contaminated and potentially deadly.

Dawn Majerczyk, 43, said her orange tabby, Phoenix, fell sick last week just two days after he ate a single package of Special Kitty. It is one of 95 cat and dog food brands recalled by Menu Foods of Canada. Friday's recall came two weeks after nine cats died during routine company taste tests of its products, the Food and Drug Administration said.

Majerczyk said she took the 9-year-old cat to its first-ever veterinarian visit the day of the recall. The cat had lost six pounds in four days and was lethargic, dehydrated and nearly blind. She returned over the weekend to have him put down after his organs began to fail. Her suit, filed by Chicago attorney Jay Edelson, seeks class-action status.


http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/03/20/national/main2590696.shtml

[piesRsquare]

212. A "Summary of Info" link...

...on this thread, started Monday:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x453435

[piesRsquare]

213. Even More Products May Have Taint: FDA

Federal officials in the midst of a national tainted-pet-food scare yesterday acknowledged that all of the poisoned goods may not have been identified yet - and that some may remain on store shelves.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/03212007/news/nationalnews/scary_dish_on_pet_food_nationalnews_erin_calabrese__lorena_mongelli_and_cynthia_r__fagen.htm

[NAO]

216. petconnection.com database: 1120 sickened; 502 dead from recall food

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=471612&mesg_id=471612

As of 5 PM EST, Wednesday March 21, petconnection.com has received reports of 1,120 animals sickened; of those 502 are dead.

http://www.petconnection.com/blog /

Petconnection.com is run by a high profile veterinarian. He realizes - as I hope everyone here does too - that the "10 dead cats" story the media keeps repeating is absolute nonsense. The problem is MUCH larger than this.

Lots of veterinarians have LOST THEIR OWN PETS to acute renal failure and their clinics have seen very abnormally high numbers of unexplained acute renal failure over the PAST FEW MONTHS (the poisoned food was on the shelves for nearly FOUR (4)MONTHS before the recall of 60 MILLION packets was finally issued on March 16.)

If you have had a pet in your family become seriously ill from kidney problems anytime since December - whether the pet is still with you of even if it passed or was euthanized months ago - petconnection.com needs you to enter your case into their database. Their site also directs you to the FDA site, with instructions on reporting the problem to the FDA.

Link to petconnection.com database entry form (with links to FDA reporting site):
http://www.petconnection.com/recall /

I sincerely hope that this nightmare ends soon, and that the worst is behind us - but even with top animal scientists and independent analytical labs working overtime, the STILL do not know what is making the pets sick. And the public perception that it has "killed 10 cats" only makes the problem seem minor, when it is in fact enormous.